Online Teaching

Online Course Characteristics

Different institutions subscribe to different models of online education.  Here at AAP,  our online courses share the following characteristics:

They are asynchronous.  Neither the students nor the instructor are expected to be online at a particular time.  (Optional synchronous activities--such as exam reviews, office hours, and guest speakers-- are fine, as long as these are recorded and made available to students who can't attend.) 

They follow the traditional semester schedule. Online classes begin and end the same day as the regular semester. Online courses cannot be extended beyond the end-of-semester date printed in the catalog. Students are expected to meet regular deadlines throughout the semester.

They are participatory. Students are expected to interact with their faculty member and with each other over the course of the semester. Many studies have shown that student satisfaction with online learning is higher with more interaction.

They are delivered primarily through Blackboard, our learning management system.  Blackboard is the backbone of our online courses.  Learn more about Blackboard.  Of course, faculty use other technologies to enhance their courses.  View our technology overviews. 

Course Development

AAP faculty who are teaching new (or significantly revising existing) online courses are paid a course development contract, in addition to the contract they receive for teaching the course.  The course development contract recognizes the effort it takes faculty to

• learn about the dynamics of teaching and learning online,
• prepare and organize their materials for online delivery, and 
• learn the technologies necessary to build the online course. 

The IRC recommends that faculty work with an Instructional Designer on their course development one full-semester before the course begins. 

For a comprehensive list of the steps involved in developing and delivering an online course, view the Online Course Development Checklist.

Training

The IRC provides two distinct areas of training for faculty new to online teaching:

Pedagogical Training: By participating in an online training called "Planning Your Online Course," faculty will become familiar with the online environment while learning about the characteristics of effective online courses.  This training provides concrete tips, strategies, and templates that faculty can immediately incorporate into their courses.

Technical Training: Our technical training--available as either a self-paced online course, a facilitated "live" online classes, or in-person classes--will provide faculty the in-depth, hands-on practice they need to master the online technologies.  View our training resources. 

Course Delivery

Even though there are no scheduled "class times" during the delivery semester, online faculty are very busy facilitating their online course--answering questions, keeping students engaged and on-task, and assessing student work.  Your ID will work with you on ways to make the most out of the delivery semester.

"I thought that once I had the course material up and running, this would be less demanding on my time than a face-to-face class, but that is not the case.  Because there is no classroom time, there is more time spent answering emails, holding online office hours, and grading online assignments that take the place of classroom instruction.  Overall I think I spend just as much time on my online classes as I do my face-to-face classes."

--John Schindler, Applied Economics