Re: Web courses

[Drnanjo]

1. Which psychology courses are most likely to be successful using this mode?  Or is course content irrelevant to success? I have taught many different types of courses and I tend to think that the subject matter does not matter that much. 2.  Which platforms appear best (e.g., off-the-shelf packages like Blackboard, sites developed by text publishers, instructor-managed sites)? Blackboard and WebCT are comparable. Blackboard is more intuitively sensible to learn while WebCT, though clunkier (there is an intermediate step for file uploads, for example, while from BB you can just directly upload) gives you more control over quizzes and allows uploads from Respondus. So I lean towards WebCt. I am being trained in ETUDES but don't feel I have enough info to help you as I have not gone "live" with it and I've used some other, more limited CMSs that you probably haven't heard of...Embanet, CourseNet, WebBoard...I'd be happy to give you more details about these off list. 3.  How do you maintain student motivation and interest and avoid the problem of incompletes and dropouts?I don't think that online education engenders this problem to a greater degree than does regular classroom education...the students with no discipline or focus will drift away, but it appears to be no different than in the brick and mortar setting. I do provide more quizzes online than in the classroom and post discussion questions almost every week. I exercise tighter control administratively but this is more for my sake than theirs (the students'). My major employer (Long Beach City College) offers an orientation to distance ed at the DL home page but I have no data on how effective this is in curtailing drop-outs. 4.  How do you maintain your own enthusiasm when you have found much of the pleasure of teaching tied to successful face-to-face interaction in the classroom? I am a very lively classroom instructor and I have been able to convey that through my sense of humor, daily participation, and quick responses to student discussion posts and emails. I have had no trouble "transferring my skills". I love teaching online as much as I do the "regular" kind. Nancy Melucci Long Beach City College --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]