Many educators have worked professionally and realize that they would like to specialize in a certain area. This may lead them to enroll in graduate programs; they have found their passion and want to become experts in that area. When searching for the right program, free time often factors into the decision-making process.
Graduate students often have full-time jobs, and the idea of having to attend in-person classes may seem daunting on an already full plate. Hence, they opt for online graduate programs. Even though the courses are online, those teaching them must still make everything as engaging and rewarding as possible.
How to Prep Students for Online Courses
Faculty of graduate programs online want to make sure they prep their students before the course begins. This could be the first time a graduate student is taking a course entirely online, and there are strategies that can help them find success.
First, faculty often try to send a welcome email a couple of days before the class begins. By doing this, students have any contact information in case they have concerns. Some instructors also attach the syllabus or mention what textbook and materials the students should order to prepare for the first class.
In this email or a subsequent introduction video, it is best if time management is stressed from the beginning. First-time online students need to be instructed on how to attack a course and might want to be given tips on how to break up the work when it is an asynchronous class. Instructors may be able to send resources such as articles or videos on how to use time wisely.
Many instructors often host an optional Zoom session before the class starts or during the first week of the semester. During this meeting, instructors can make introductions, explain the learning management system that will be used, and field any first week questions. Learning management systems (LMS) vary from school to school and navigating a new one can be very overwhelming. Finding an instructional video explaining how the LMS works can be very beneficial for students.
Faculty also want to remind their students that they are indeed university students and have access to all of the resources on campus even though they are taking online courses. A list with the contact information for the writing center, tutoring center, counseling center, and any other department can help students be successful. Then, throughout the semester, faculty will often remind their students of these resources and encourage them to reach out if they need extra assistance.
Faculty want to make sure that their online graduate students feel like part of the university. They should find out events that are happening on campus and virtual activities and share them with the students. The more students feel like part of the school community, the more vested they will be in courses.
Incorporating High-Impact Teaching Practices Online
High-impact learning experiences can be turned into online experiences that are very transformative. Instructors should analyze their coursework and assignments and identify what can be altered or added to the course to make it a high-impact learning experience.
Learning Communities
Survey students about their interests, randomly assign groups, or ask students to reach out to one another to form learning communities. Then, create meaningful activities that need to be completed in these groups.
Incorporate Research
Encourage students to select topics and do research on them to present in class. Diversity and global learning can be incorporated into the research topics.
Give Options for Service Learning
Projects or assignments can be centered around the students reaching out to various volunteer groups. Depending on the requirements of the course, students can begin internships and reflect on that throughout the assignments.
There are many ways through collaborative assignments, e-portfolios, and more, that faculty can use to incorporate high-impact practices throughout online courses.
Foster Connections
Even though instructors may never meet students face-to-face, everyone can still very easily make connections. In fact, all teachers should strive to make a connection with each and every one of their online graduate students:
- Video instructions of weekly to-do lists
- Update LMS profiles and add a picture
- Student introductions and comment on each other’s videos
- Group work
- Optional Zoom meetings with others from the class
- Surveys to improve processes and instruction
Creating a community in the online world is key to improving an online graduate classroom experience. Instructors want the students to know them and each other. They will be more likely to engage in activities and learn from one another by doing this.
Finally, faculty need to be cognizant of graduate students’ schedules. Whether they work full-time, have families, or have other responsibilities, they are adults. Graduate students are there because they are passionate about the topic. Guiding them and teaching them online can be a wonderful experience for both instructors and students.
Interested in an online graduate program? Check out our available programs and get started today!
