Setting Up an Online Learning Experience

There is a value in knowing the technology available to you because you have a head start on understanding how you can apply the tools to the course at hand. You can also assist students who may or may not have experience with the technology and help them learn how it can be applied to the tasks and assignments at hand and provide them with a clear layout on what you expect the final project to look like. "Focus on the essential tools and build your first course around those tools." (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010) In having experience with the tools, you can provide a quicker form of assistance to students who need troubleshooting with the tools as opposed to waiting for a representative from the "helpdesk" to return a response, which most programs tend to have.

Laying out expectations for a course to the students allows the instructor and students to have a mental map of what will be needed and when it will needed to be submitted for each project or task. Students have to understand what the guidelines are for each course and in sharing expectations, they understand what the objectives and goals will be for that course. It provides them with the idea of what they will learn in the course and how they will be assessed to confirm whether or not they are understanding the material.

One consideration is confirming whether the technology tools provided whether through audio or video platforms, can be accessible on all operating systems, whether MAC or PC or Linux. Also the instructor should advise and confirm that the students have the programs required and that they are  at the most up to date version for optimal performance.

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical  pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.