Dr. Jim Brown and Thomas Capone spoke about “Teaching Online to the World Community” as part of the Quality Matters (QM) Quality in Action conference earlier this year. They are part of The Global Distance Learning Association. Brown noted that there ar eno legal restrictions preventing foreign students residing in their home countries from earning a degree from a U.S. college or university. Dr. Jim Brown was the Dean at the Ocean County College (OCC). Naval students take courses while on aircraft, for example. Brown described the importance for many of taking courses online and how they were able to support learning during the pandemic. Brown also spoke about how nursing students may find interest in related public health fields. Some tips they shared were making sure students are “in” the course. Brown gets in touch with students and emphasizes the ABCs of high-quality online discussions:
- A – Acknowledge the student’s input
- B – Build on students’ ideas by adding content, perspectives, experience, reference to the readings… etc.
- C – Conclude with a focused follow-up question for the class.
Brown also tries to find relevant current news to share. Two hour lectures, Brown said, will put students to sleep. Brown uses Khan Academy, Open Stax… and other free textbooks (OER). Soft Chalk has several activities. I appreciate how Brown spoke about the importance of making assignments mobile. Brown stated that we must remember that “40 percent of today’s students work full-time; 57 percent live independently without support from parents; nearly 25 percent have children of their own; 42 percent are students of color; and 46 percent are first-generation college students.” Brown noted that peer coaching builds community and using mentors can be powerful. I have been trying to get a peer-mentoring program started for some of the courses I teach. Thomas Capone, CEO of New York Distance Learning Association, spoke about technologies used for online learning. Capone noted the importance of Zoom in the field and some of Jabra’s products. Capone summarized how their group became global: globaldla.org. One question they received was if it was “ok” to include Khan Academy and other resources. Brown explained that he asks permission from people/groups. Proctoring software and “securing” an exam were also mentioned. People mentioned changing the questions and designing video/audio reflections. One nursing instructor explained how they use different (not the actual) conversion factors for exams/assessments. The conversation then moved on to AI use in courses and teaching with AI.
