Teaching workload
Teaching workload
In this section you will look at strategies to balance workload when teaching online and / or blended courses.
Co-teaching as a strategy for balancing workload (Check Unitec Policy)
- Dividing students between teachers/facilitators
- Request a teaching assistant to participate in discussion and provide feedback
Use course design strategies to balance workload
- Plan ahead and predict workload
- Use orientation activities as as a way to reduce learners questions about the course structure and assignments and other concerns during the course.
- Plan course content on a text book and enrich with current real-world content & global issues
- Reduce readings - use groups and allocated readings, groups to feedback analysis to cohort
- Have clear guidelines for discussion forums - intentions, peer feedback and open/closure of discussion
- Enrich content with podcasts, video, audio, annotated ppts, guest speakers etc
- Reduce time for course design by using a template from your first design
Support strategies before and during course
- Technical support
- Academic learning support e.g. at Unitec, your TPA liaison can help design your Moodle to enhance student navigation, and retain similar structure to face2face classes
- student peer support
Time allocation strategies
- Know there will be a lot of up front work at the beginning of the course, as students become more independent the role changes from expert to guide.
- Consider a light teacher presence at the beginning of a week (in discussion boards) and a heavier presence at the end of the week (wrapping up discussion)
- Set time limits on availability. Set expectations early with when you will NOT be available.