First Time Teaching Online

The online learning environment may seem vastly different from the on-ground classroom. With the right preparation, however, you can successfully translate on-ground teaching and expertise into the online modality and create an engaging learning experience for students. In this piece, we will walk through things you’ll want to look for and decisions you’ll need to make when teaching online for the first time, regardless of what course you’re teaching. Additionally, we also provide some specific examples that are particularly relevant if you are using the Canvas learning management system.

Before you begin teaching online, brainstorm how you will manage the course. Start by creating a course facilitation plan that outlines your desired outcomes and teaching strategies. Consider when you will review course content, post announcements, and review student submissions and analytics. Determine the frequency of discussions and the type of feedback you will provide on assignments. Even if you change your strategy midway through, this plan will help you identify which tasks might take more or less time, predict the busiest weeks, and decide what can be done in advance to make the later weeks run more smoothly.

Once you have access to your learning management system, consider starting a course companion. A course companion is a living document in which you can save important resources, such as announcements, supplemental materials, and general feedback. You can create this file in Google Drive or on your computer, depending on your preference. By maintaining a course companion, you'll have easy access to all your teaching resources for future courses.

To get started with online teaching, familiarize yourself with the learning management system (LMS) you'll be using. Check your access and settings by logging into the LMS, even if your course isn't available yet. If you’re using Canvas, for example, you can ensure that your preferred email and notification settings are correct and begin to organize your dashboard in a way that makes sense to you. Additionally, take this time to update your profile by adding a photo, bio, and relevant links; these actions establish instructor presence and build a connection with students.

Once you have access to your course space, review the syllabus, content, structure, and flow of the course. Identify major projects and due dates, as well as any actions required from you or the students in the first week of class. Some courses may provide directives or support resources, such as a course guide in an instructor-only module, offering useful tips for managing the course. Some courses may also include solutions files or other materials in instructor-only sections of the course files, which may aid communication or grading in the course.

Many large online courses include discussions or assignments in which students are broken up into groups. This can prevent discussion boards from becoming unwieldy and help students feel that they are building meaningful relationships. If your course includes group assignments, make sure to assign students to groups shortly after they’ve been enrolled in the course, especially in advance of any required group work activities or submission deadlines. This will help avoid grading issues later on and may lead to fewer student questions and concerns.

Effective communication is key in a successful online course. Consider how active you will be in the course space, keeping in mind that regular instructor communication and feedback has been shown to be the highest-rated engagement strategy in online courses (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). Post a welcome announcement, either through video or text. Introduce yourself, share a bit about your research or experience, provide a course preview, and set expectations regarding availability, turnaround time for assignments, and preferred communication methods. Then, throughout the course, post 1–2 announcements per week to maintain a connection with your students; this amount strikes the right balance between being present and not overwhelming students with information.

Announcements are generally the best way to communicate with your whole class. However, you should also become familiar with the inbox feature in your LMS to stay on top of student messages. For example, in Canvas, if you want to reply to student messages directly from your email (and not via the Canvas Conversations Inbox), enable notifications so that messages are delivered to your external email inbox (Outlook, Gmail, etc.). When replying, ensure that you respond from the email address(es) you have registered under "Ways to contact" in Canvas so students receive your reply.

If you plan to hold office hours or synchronous sessions, practice adding a meeting in your LMS calendar so you will be ready to hold live meetings when the course is running.

Grading is an important aspect of online teaching, and it's essential to establish clear policies from the start. Before any assignments are submitted, set gradebook policies regarding grade posting, late submissions, and missing work. Communicate these policies to your students and ensure they align with any programmatic language in the syllabus. Remember that if you don't set a policy for missing submissions, those assignments may not factor into the grade totals visible to you and your students in the gradebook.

Ensure that you’re familiar with the grading moderation features of the LMS, including options for giving accommodations. In Canvas, for example, SpeedGrader is a valuable tool that allows you to efficiently grade assignments. Likewise, Canvas has a feature for providing accommodations and moderating individual exam attempts so that you can effectively assist students.

By following the above guidelines, you'll be prepared to begin your online teaching journey. Teaching online is not vastly different than an on-ground classroom, and as your comfort grows, you will become proficient at facilitating courses in this new space. Remember to stay organized, communicate effectively, and leverage all available resources and support systems. Teaching online can be a rewarding experience that allows you to flexibly engage with students and deliver course content.

Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online Learning, 22(1), 205–222.