{"id":1694,"date":"2010-07-20t15:46:04","date_gmt":"2010-07-20t15:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.imrbdigital.com\/"},"modified":"2010-07-28t14:31:20","modified_gmt":"2010-07-28t14:31:20","slug":"notes-from-the-cft-library-books-on-teaching-online","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/\/www.imrbdigital.com\/articles-and-essays\/the-teaching-forum\/notes-from-the-cft-library-books-on-teaching-online\/","title":{"rendered":"notes from the cft library: books on teaching online"},"content":{"rendered":"
this article was originally published in the fall 2002 issue of the cft’s newsletter, teaching forum. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n by derek bruff <\/em><\/p>\n as communication technologies become faster, more reliable, and less expensive, online distance education is becoming more practical. in fact, at the nation’s largest private university, the university of phoenix, it is possible to earn a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree entirely online. the technologies that enable online distance education are also being used to supplement courses taught in traditional face-to-face classrooms with online elements. for example, the vanderbilt department of mathematics offers online tutoring for calculus students using a graphical chat program called nettutor. course management systems such as prometheus and oak (powered by blackboard), both used at vanderbilt, include a variety of online tools, such as discussion forums, chat programs, and grade books, as well as space for posting lecture notes and assignments.<\/p>\n developing effective ways to incorporate such online tools in a traditional classroom course can be challenging. the books reviewed in this article are written primarily for instructors teaching courses entirely online. however, much of the content of these books will also be useful for instructors who wish to take advantage of online communication tools in their face-to-face courses. in fact, the authors of these books are careful to present their material in ways useful to both types of instructors.<\/p>\n many books on the topic of teaching online offer fairly practical advice on what types of teaching activities work well in an online environment and how to use various software tools that enable these activities. one of more useful books of this type is the first book reviewed below, teaching online: a practical guide <\/em>, by susan ko and steve rossen. books about online teaching based in education and organizational theory are more rare. the other books reviewed here, both by rena palloff and keith pratt, offer such a theory-based approach to teaching online.<\/p>\n <\/a>susan ko and steve rossen. teaching online: a practical guide <\/em>. houghton mifflin, 2001. 348 pages. <\/strong><\/p>\n teaching online <\/em> serves as a concise introduction to a variety of online teaching activities and the technologies that support them. course activities such as lectures, simulations, discussion, group work, and assessment are discussed in the context of teaching online. this is followed by a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of technologies that enable online teaching, including web sites, discussion boards, email, chat and whiteboard programs, and course management systems. other topics include creating an online course syllabus; using others’ work legally and protecting one’s own work; and classroom management issues such as making online discussions effective and handling student behavior problems.<\/p>\n teaching online <\/em> is much more practical than philosophical. examples and case studies, both real and fictional, are used. frequent computer screen shots illustrate important tools and activities, and while particular software tools (netscape composer, paint shop pro, and realproducer, among others) are used to clarify key concepts, the authors are careful not to limit their discussion to these programs.<\/p>\n key terms are defined both in the text and in the glossary, making the guide useful for those just beginning to be familiar with online teaching technologies. the practical and concise writing, along with the useful index, makes for a great reference book for those with a little more experience. veteran online instructors might want to seek a book with more theory and more emphasis on the assessment of online teaching techniques.<\/p>\n much of the book will be useful to instructors wishing to incorporate online elements in a traditional face-to-face course, particularly the chapter titled “integrating online elements in a traditional classroom.” one suggestion the authors give involves using an online discussion forum, such as ones available via prometheus or oak (powered by blackboard), to improve a discussion-based class by having students post their initial reactions to a discussion topic online and read the postings before coming to class. this approach has the advantage of moving the “warm-up” phase of a discussion outside of the classroom, meaning that the time spent in the classroom on discussion will likely be more effectively spent. the approach also elicits comments by less vocal members of the class.<\/p>\n