Time Management Strategies for Online Courses
5. Course Management
At the heart of every course, whether traditional or online,is the management of that course. Course management includes,among other things, the tracking of grades, tracking of student progress, general student communications, and other tasks that ensure the course operates efficiently and smoothly. Consider using these tips to ensure that course management tasks flow smoothly.
Electronic Grade book
Make use of the electronic grade book that is included with virtually all course management systems.
Create one column for each assignment and then use calculated columns for midterm and final grades. Using the integrated grade book saves an extraordinary amount of time by automatically posting assignment and test grades directly to the grade book.Electronic grade books can also provide students with access to their own grades throughout the semester, thus significantly cutting down on the number of questions received from student regarding grade results.
Student tracking
Require that students log in to the online course a minimum number of times each week.
Use the student tracking feature of the course management system to verify that students are logging in on a regular basis.
Assignment Instructions
Make assignment instructions clear and concise so that students will know exactly what is expected and how to proceed.
Assignments that are more involved or that will have a significant impact on the final grade may benefit from the use of an assignment rubric. An assignment rubric defines learning outcomes and gives examples of what is expected to satisfy the requirement for each grade level.The more clear and concise assignments can be the fewer number of questions received from students.
