Creating instructor notes, developed for/passed on to other instructors teaching a specific online course, is a best practice that can facilitate student success by improving engagement, instruction, and delivery. These notes may include announcement suggestions, areas of confusion for students, teaching best practices, tips to decrease instructor workload, etc.
There are many resources available for online instructors that outline online teaching best practices. These resources – research articles, training documents, etc. – play a vital role in helping online instructors teach virtual classes more effectively, but they may not be as immediately useful as instructor notes, which are notes developed and passed on to other instructors in relation to teaching a specific course. These notes, which can be targeted to apply to the entire course, a module, or an assignment, can be created as unpublished pages in the learning management system and placed at the beginning of each module or other appropriate areas within an online course.
Creating instructor notes is a best practice that can facilitate engagement with students in ways that propel student learning and success. For example, the notes can encourage instructors to post weekly announcements and overview videos that share expertise and hands-on examples. Increasing the effectiveness of student engagement can also improve instruction and delivery that further promotes student success.
In addition, instructor notes can be a form of just-in-time learning. For example, creating notes that list issues other instructors have noticed, such as common points of confusion for students, allows the instructor to address these issues as they arise and before they become problematic. Such notes can also assist with the continuous improvement of online courses, which can be better achieved when instructors keep track of and share the aspects of their courses that may need improvement.
Finally, the notes can provide instructors with relevant teaching best practices, such as in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion, offer technology-related tips that decrease the instructor’s workload, such as scheduling announcements ahead of time, and any reminders that the instructor or students may need during a specific week, such as preparing for class presentations.
Student success is a key goal in higher education, and instructor notes can help students learn the content, submit quality work, and find meaning in the course and its larger place within their career path. Incorporating instructor notes in online courses positively impacts the work of faculty and staff who design and teach online courses.
Participant Engagement:
Engagement with participants during this session will initially be achieved through storytelling/role-playing. Participants will be asked to role-play the scenario below in groups of three (the roles, in line with the scenario, will include one experienced instructor and two new instructors) and then discuss their thoughts with the entire group.
Imagine that you are the sole instructor for a fully developed online course that teaches a computer application (Excel, Photoshop, etc.). The popularity of the class leads to the hiring of additional instructors to teach more sections. What type of information might you give these instructors to facilitate a smooth transition that will benefit both the instructors and students?
Throughout the session, participants will be called on to answer questions that will initiate further discussion. For example, participants will be asked if they have prior experience using instructor notes. Those who have, if any, will be asked to share details of their use. Near the end of the session, participants will be asked to write down (using provided notepads and pens) at least one takeaway from the session that they’d like to act on in practice. Participants will then be called on to share what they wrote down and why. The top contributor(s) will earn a gift.
Takeaways:
By the end of the session, particpants will be able to explain the importance of instructor notes in online courses. They will also be able to list appropriate locations for placing instructor notes in online courses. Finally, participants will be able to describe relevant and specific examples of instructor notes (i.e., the content of the notes).