Worried about online courses? Warrington faculty share tips for students learning online
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant changes to our lives. While teaching courses online might be new for some, at the Warrington College of Business, it’s something we’ve been doing for the past two decades. For any student new to online learning, rest assured that our online education is one of the strongest thanks to Warrington’s faculty and resources.
We asked a few of our faculty members to share their approach to online teaching, how they make it engaging for students and what advice they have for any student worried about their online courses. Read on to see what they had to say, and check out their teaching in action in some short clips from their online classes.
Dr. Shubho Bandyopadhyay – George W. and Lisa O. Etheridge, Jr. Professor, Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
“When teaching online, I want students to be able to understand the material as well as they would have had I delivered it in the classroom. When I teach courses online, I don’t think my methods change very much from what it would have been like in person. I still rely on interacting with students as much as possible, trying to ascertain what they cannot understand. I do make a few changes, though. I tend to approach an online lesson in smaller chunks and think more in terms of how I can provide transitions from one module to the next.
In one recent video lesson, I utilized the Warrington Teaching & Learning Center’s Lightboard Studio. I wanted to make an introductory video to the online cohort about what to expect from the course, even before they started looking at the first ‘lecture’ video. I wanted to do it in a way that mirrors classroom teaching – i.e. they could see me, and I wanted to summarize the main points all in one screen so that they can take it in all together when the video ended. The Lightboard Studio enabled me to do that.
For students that are worried about the online learning experience, I’d remind them that the pause and rewind buttons are your friends. Use them liberally. This is a great opportunity to go back and listen to what the instructor had to say over and over again. You usually did not have access to a recording of the class. Now you do. Use it!”
Dr. Judy Scully Callahan – Senior Lecturer, Department of Management
“My objective with online teaching is to provide an interesting and comprehensive course that results in students gaining skills, techniques, and tactics they can use to improve their effectiveness at work and in life. Regardless of students’ prior experience with the content, the courses I design offer rigor that enables those new to the content to understand the basics and those with experience to cultivate and hone that experience in the context.
In completing one of my courses online, students will receive an educational experience comparable to face-to-face while capitalizing on elements available with online learning. For example, reviewing peer work is far easier online in the course I teach on negotiation. Recording the exchange where both faces are visible offers an opportunity to see what other students do during the same negotiation one just completed.
My belief is that students are only able to learn if they are committed to the process. Online learning escalates this up exponentially. That being said, online teaching requires a tremendous amount of planning. This translates into a shared responsibility for the course, and this guides the way I approach teaching online and how I make it engaging for students.
My approach is to vary content delivery to offer examples and exercises that reinforce the course objectives. For example, keeping each video lecture short enables me to emphasize a single concept and students are able to review content they find difficult.
I make online learning engaging by compelling students to interact with one another via peer feedback, posting their work on discussion boards, delivering content through varying vehicles like the Lightboard Studio and recording outside, and offering synchronous contact with one another as well as with me. Additionally, rapid feedback on assignments further helps bridge the physical distance while facilitating learning. Being available is critical to student success.
For students that are apprehensive about online courses, I recommend that you commit to learning. I see online learning as demanding the learner to become very active in the process. Students must remain motivated and focused without the classroom experience. I would also recommend connecting with fellow students in the class. Finally, reach out to faculty, ask questions and attend office hours.”
Dr. Aditi Mukherjee – Senior Lecturer, Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
“When I teach an online course, I use a few different methods to create an engaging environment that will facilitate student learning.
The course website plays a very important role in online courses, and it is important to create a detailed, easy-to-use website. Students should be able to navigate and find information related to either course content or course logistics easily. When delivering asynchronous course content, I create short and fast paced videos, typically shorter than 10 minutes. Since online courses are not ideal for synchronous interactions between the faculty and students, it is important to set up the students for success when they are working on assignments on their own. One way to do this is to provide details on how students can troubleshoot on their own. If they are aware of common errors messages and how to avoid them, they may not get frustrated when working on the assignments. I also provide video walkthroughs for online assignments and exams, so that they know what to expect, how I expect them to answer the questions and how they will be graded. Finally, to keep students engaged in the class throughout the semester (and not just prior to the exams), I create a few low-stakes quizzes and assignments every week.
For any student who might be apprehensive or struggling with online learning, I would recommend reaching out to your professors. This experience of teaching online courses is new for some faculty members, and I’m sure we will welcome constructive feedback during the semester on how we can help you learn. Students should spend some time familiarizing themselves with how the course websites are laid out and where they can find the course content and deadlines. It will also be beneficial to identify supplemental materials and resources that may be relevant to your courses such as LinkedIn Learning.
Finally, use the syllabus from your classes to set up your own schedule so that you stay ahead in courses, as this type of learning will take a little more effort and self-discipline to succeed.”
Dr. Michael Schadewald, CPA – Clinical Associate Professor, Fisher School of Accounting
“The goal is the same in all my courses, whether the course is held online or in a traditional classroom setting. I want students to understand how managers use accounting information to make better decisions.
In both types of courses, it is important to leverage the online assignment and assessment platforms that are bundled with textbooks. I do this by giving students points for engaging in a wide variety of learning activities. Examples include interactive reading assignments, homework problems, quizzes and Excel projects, all of which are completed online.
In my MBA courses, students work in small groups to complete case studies regarding issues such as outsourcing, expanding product lines, or making investments in new plant and equipment. The team members vary from case to case, so students have the opportunity to meet and network with many of their classmates during the semester.
UF’s Lightboard Studio is an especially effective tool for online teaching. You can display and manipulate a lot of information on a lightboard, which makes it an ideal tool for illustrating how students can solve complex problems in a step-by-step manner.
If you are a student with concerns about taking online courses, take comfort in the fact that UF professors have extensive experience in teaching online courses. I have been doing it for 20 years. Our online courses are well-designed, and the technology keeps getting better. If you make the necessary time commitment, you should be confident that you will do well in the course.”
