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White, Ken, W., & Weight, Bob H. (2000).  The online teaching guide:  a handbook of attitudes, strategies, and techniques for the virtual classroom.  Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

 NOTE: This summary only covers Chapters 1-9.

Ch. 2: Taming the Lions and Tigers and Bears

Differences Between Online vs. Face-to-Face Communication

• individuals in computer-mediated groups are relatively more uninhibited.

• status differences play less of a role in the online environment.

• interaction in online groups tends to be more evenly distributed among group members.

• online consensus decision making takes significantly longer than when group members interact face-to-face.

The WRITE Way to Communicate Online

(W)armth

Words on a screen are relatively bereft of context and tend towards coolness rather than warmth, and the absence of the physical presence of others can lead to feelings of anonymity.  This can lead to insensitivity and "flaming".  You don't have to be all "touchy feely" to interject warmth.  Here are some techniques:

• use the telephone when necessary

• send sensitive information to private mailboxes

• incorporate warmth into written text with personal details and gentle jokes

• describe the setting from which you are writing (e.g., weather, the music you're listening to)

• play with language by using emoticons occasionally :-)

(R)esponsiveness

• Most online communication is asynchronous, and people don't like waiting days for responses.

• Make policies clear

• Set deadlines

• Provide student feedback on a regular schedule

• Be consistent

• Be redundant---proactive is better than reactive, so send reminders to students

• Keep messages short (increasing the chance they'll be heeded and decreasing the chance information will be lost).

(I)nquisitiveness

• It's more constructive to ask a person why rather than tell a person what. Inquisitiveness both reduces defensiveness and elicits information that might be useful in solving a problem.

(T)entativeness

• Qualifiers (e.g., "it appears...", "don't you think that...") reduce defensiveness.

• Use "I-messages"("I believe...") in place of "You-messages" ("You are...") whenever possible.

(E)mpathy

Put yourself in your audience's shoes. 

• spelling and grammar is regarded more lightly in online communication.

• accommodate occasional requests to work around scheduling problems.

Ch. 3: Talking the Talk: Humor and Other Forms of Online Communication

"Teacher Talk" consists of:

• control talk

• humor

• special language

• an "andragogical" approach

Control Talk:  not used to dominate, but rather to set tone, clarify expectations, and convey meaning.

• remember that you set the tone for the communication.

• don't be sarcastic.

• move quickly to prevent or extinguish flame wars

• don't ignore flames, but don't overreact

Ten Hints

1. Provide contact information for technical problems

2. The 4-F motto:  be Firm, Fair, Flexible, and Fun!

3. Reply to student autobiographies with a personal note about something the student said.

4. Have your syllabus ready and make sure it clearly states when all assignments are due as well as your grading scheme and policies.

5. Always have that week's assignments uploaded the first day prior to the classroom week.

6. Always get back to students ASAP, but no later than 24 hours.

7. Never leave your online class for an extended time without telling students when you'll be back.

8. Try to send students a handout, message, thought for the day, etc. every day.

9. Give feedback and grades on a regular schedule (e.g., every week).

10. Maintain your sense of humor!

HUMOR

Humor serves a variety of useful functions:

• It eases tension (it's hard to laugh and be tense at the same time).

• It sets a warm tone for the class environment.

• It promotes novelty and creativity.

• It makes learning fun!

However, not all types of humor are welcome (e.g., sarcasm, jokes at the expense of others, derogatory or prejudicial humor).  And humor should be the spice, not the substance.

Hints for Humor

• self-effacing humor works well.

• collect a folder of funny stories and one-liners that relate to class material.

• humor should be "G"-rated.

Special Language

• Become acquainted with, and use, common emoticons.

AN ANDRAGOGICAL APPROACH
Pedagogy relates to teaching, whereas andragogy is pedagogy that is centered around adult learning.  Online classrooms presume maturity and responsibility.  Treat students as adults, not children---don't patronize them.  Androgogy also presumes that adults bring a wide variety of valuable experiences into the classroom and that these voices should be encouraged and heard.

Ch. 4: The Story of One Learner

Characteristics of Online Learners

• they take command of their own learning

• they tend to have greater zest for learning

• they tend to make better use of their time

• they are adults and learn differently from children

• they take responsibility for their own learning

• their success depends less on the subject matter and more on their leve of engagement

Needs of Online Learners

• They are anxious and need guidance at first

• They need a social context for learning

• They need to experience effective online communication and teaching practices.

• They need clear guidance through the online curriculum.

• They need tolerance for differences.

• They occasionally need extra motivation.

Ch. 5: Reshaping Teaching and Learning: the Role of Liberal Arts in Online Education 

• Online Proficiency Assessment

• Online Remediation (both via tutorial files and tutoring services)

Ch. 6: The Elements of Effective Online Teaching: Overcoming the Barriers to Success

Research from the University of Phoenix's Institutional Research Office has found that an instructor's performance in the following four areas seems to tie closely to students' perceptions of instructor effectiveness:

1. Visibility

2. Feedback

3. Materials

4. Retention

Correspondingly, the instructor training program centers on:

• maintaining visibility

• giving regular feedback

• providing high-quality materials

• removing obstacles to student retention

VISIBILITY

An instructor new to online learning didn't want to appear to dominate class discussion, so instead he thought a great deal about the week's postings and at the close of every week provided an excellent summary with comments.  Still, the instructor's student ratings were low---students thought the instructor lazy or uninterested.    After the instructor began sharing his thoughts day by day instead of saving them for a weekly posting, his evaluations rose.

Types of Messages

• content-related (lectures, handouts, clarifications, synthesis)

• process-related (order of assignments, directions for submission, descriptions of the flow of the class)

• technical tips (sending attachments, URLs)

• protocol guidelines (netiquette, codes of conduct, plagiarism statements)

• responses to student questions

• feedback on submitted work

Hints on Visibility

• Sending personal correspondence does not significantly enhance instructor visibility.

• Public messages are the key to perceptions of an instructor's presence.  Therefore, while respecting confidential information, conduct as much class business as possible in the open.

• By your visibility, you are modeling how the class works and motivating students to expand their participation.

• Visibility reduces students' sense of isolation

FEEDBACK

Feedback should be:

• frequent

• consistent

• timely

• diplomatic

• often evaluative

Efficiency

• Because feedback is time-consuming, it is often helpful to develop and use templates for feedback.

• Use boilerplate text when appropriate, but add personal comments to the boilerplate.

MATERIALS

• carefully edit online materials.  It is harder to clarify mistakes and typos online.

• pay attention to copyright issues.  Provide URLs whenever possible rather than incorporating online content.

• post materials on set dates.  This improves the flow of the class.

RETENTION

Why do students leave?

• isolation

• the pressure of the accelerated pace

• competing responsibilities

• technical issues

Combating Isolation

• Use techniques that help reduce isolation:

•             Biographies

•             Chat Rooms

• Monitor participation

• Contact those who are not participating

Accelerated Pace

• provide concrete hints and other information about time management

• provide regular encouragement

• provide regular feedback

• focus on pride of accomplishment with countdowns to milestones

Competing Responsibilities

• Discuss with students the value of obtaining their educational goals

• Help them to prioritize goals.

• Provide some flexibility for deadlines

Ch. 7: Managing Time:  Developing Effective Online Organization

The Elements of Online Time Management

• Time to respond to student questions varies inversely with subject matter knowledge

• Keyboard skills can be a bottleneck.

• Software applications and skills can provide major time savers.

• Good database management also frees up time.

• Reading efficiency is a must.

• Ensure a good working environment (proper lighting and ergonomics, reasonable quiet, proper supplies).

The Online Learning Curve

The first time you teach an online course, it takes more time.  The first times you provide feedback, they take more time.  Facilitation, too, takes more time at first.  Don't worry---as you learn, you'll become more efficient.

Decisions and Priorities

You can't do everything, so list your goals and prioritize them (a good way is to write "1s", "2s", and "3s" next to tasks).  Break each item into smaller chunks and develop a weekly schedule.

 Do the same type of prioritization online.  When you first log on, and before performing any tasks, scan relevant areas of the course to get an idea of your workload that day.   Extinguish the "fires" first, then work your way down to less pressing matters.

Syllabus

Establish reasonable expectations and then fulfill them.  The syllabus is important in this regard because it sets the basic classroom expectations.   A good syllabus serves as a "scaffold" for the course.  Provide the syllabus before the course and then send reminders each week regarding that week's events, deadlines, etc.

Specify:

• how many times per week you expect students to be online

• levels and acceptable quality of postings and responses

• when assignments are due

• what must be accomplished to obtain a certain grade

Classroom Problems

• Solving classroom problems is very time consuming.  Better to head them off in the first place.  Problems often result from a lack of feedback to students.

• Deal quickly with excessively negative students before they "drag down" the entire class.

Technical Problems

• Provide hard-copy backup whenever possible.

• Instruct students how to minimize loss of files (redundancy, hard copy backup).

Ch. 8: Cooking Up a Successful Class

RECIPE

One part course content and teaching expertise:

• Use good instructional design.  Make your course modular.  Test and tweak. 

• Add a dash of optimally-sized class (9-13 students for totally online). 

• Blend in half a cup of online classroom organization.

• Add a cup of technology expertise ("just the right amount" of technology--neither too much nor too little).

One Part Financial Expertise

• Add a cup of financial investment:  seriously consider the financial costs before you begin.

• Add a pinch of understanding the limits of the method of delivery.

• Throw in a tablespoon of costs of equipment and software (for school, instructor, and students).

• Keep in mind the costs of connection.

• Develop a profile of minimum necessary configuration.

• Make it clear how tech support will be administered.

 One part Email Communication and Writing Expertise

One Part Accreditation Expertise

• Begin with a dash of legal expertise.

• Know whether your course design is in line with the standards of accrediting bodies.

• Clarify ownership of the course (content, platform, etc.).

• Honor others' copyrighted material.

And a Cup of Marketing Expertise

Ch. 9: Getting Ready: The Syllabus and Other Online Indispensables

Consider:

• class size

• technology

• class sequence and course length

• well-designed course objectives

• degree of course flexibility

• setting the tone

Elements of an Effective Syllabus

• Course Description and Overview

• Instructor Biographical Sketch

• Contact Information

• Schedule of Readings and Assignments

• Review of Class Policies (e.g.., attendance, grading, participation, tone, late work, exams, academic dishonesty)

• Request for Student Biographical Sketches

• System information, formatting, note & file management

• Frequently-asked questions

Preparing Online Lectures

Consider:

• diversity

• absence of  time pressure for delivery

• distractions

• loss of nonverbal cues (if you're using audio)

Purposes of Online Lectures

• provide motivation

• organize and prioritize course material

• function as a technology conduit

• provide a model

• stimulate critical and creative thinking

• provide a referral base for future study

Steps in Developing Online Lectures

1. capture and maintain interest

2. develop the individual lecture

3. prepare the mini-lecture

Ch. 10: Online Facilitation: Individual and Group Possibilities

Ch. 11: Keeping it Fun and Relevant: Using Active Online Learning

Ch. 12: Dealing with Challenging Situations: Communicating Through Online Conflict.

Ch. 13: One Day Left to Live: Teaching the Online Quantitative Course

Ch. 14: Making Sense of It All: Giving and Getting Online Course Feedback