Primer for Teaching Online
1. Introduction
Welcome to Primer for Teaching Online. This module will give you an overall view of developing a web-based course, whether it be migrating a current course or whether it is the development of a new course for web-based delivery. It is not the intent of this site to be a comprehensive how-to manual on course development and implementation. It is our intent to provide you with techniques, tips, tricks, ideas, and motivation to assist in the development and implementation of online course materials, whether they will be used to augment a traditional classroom-based course or used to teach a course totally online.
Divided in Sections
The Primer for Online Teaching module is broken up into sections that deal with specific areas of online course development. Each section contains information on common areas of concern and includes ideas on how to properly prepare for online delivery. For example, the section on assessment deals with the myriad ways of assessing knowledge online, while the section on faculty development talks of how to properly prepare faculty for teaching in the online environment. Other sections offer similar ways of dealing with issues involving copyright, content conversion, use of technology, and other areas deemed critical to the success of an online course. Most sections include additional sources of information that can be used for further study.
A Primer
Just as a primer is used in the classroom to introduce a subject, this site is best used as a starting point for faculty making their initial plunge into the online classroom environment. The Primer for Online Teaching site will be regularly updated as new areas are identified and as more current and relevant information for current sections becomes available. The most important element driving the content of these pages is the feedback received by the users of this site. Please let us know what areas were helpful and which areas need to be expanded or improved upon. With your help and guidance, it is hoped that this site will become a dynamic and worthwhile tool for both distance learning veterans and rookies who are developing materials and teaching courses in the online environment.
