Online Teaching and Research: My Stories and Suggested Strategies
Abstract: This presentation is about lessons learned from my online teaching experiences as both an instructor and researcher. My early teachings began with blended course formats through various free LMSs and my research focus was related to synchronous and asynchronous discussions and \ gender communication styles. After an LMS was provided campus wide, I continued teaching online and my research emphasis shifted to focus on quality and quantity of discussions and how my time was spent teaching online. Five years ago, program changes required that courses become fully online; my research adapted to focus on asynchronous debates and instructor interactions and guidance. My current areas of interest have shifted toward online assessments, social presence, and whether totally online has gone too far; my teaching also shifted to offering both blended and online course sections. From my experiences and findings, I will share my strategy suggestions.