notes from "147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups, by Hanna, Glowacki-Dudka, & Conceicao-Runlee.

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and more directly related to my facilitation of MAT courses:
1. impt to establish discussion guidelines that could include advice on limiting length of posts and outline what good response entails (not just "I agree".

2. I liked this idea of One-Minute Assessment - ask learners to respond on some kind of regular basis (weekly?) to a couple of questions such as:
--what are questions, concerns, worries you have about this class at the end of this week/module/...
--what are most reassuring feeling you have had about class at the end of of this week/module/...
--what is the most important thing you have learned in class this week/module/...
--what is the muddiest point remaining from class this week/module/...
Ideal to collect anonymously

3. Ask learners for reflection about your instruction

4. Start with basic intro stuff to be sure learners know about each other and you:
preferred first name, background/experience, current employment, future goals, preferred learning style? how learn most effectively? other relevant interesting info to help class and instructor know you better.

5. Encourage learners to analyze information for patterns of organization, identifying assumptions, indentifying central ideas

6. create opportunities for learners to facilitate discussions

7. give learners specific roles to adapt during discussions:
process observer, information networker/summarizer

I have been having nothing but tech trauma ever since I installed OSX.2. It's not X.2 per se, but I did not leave Classic installed, and its been pretty bad since then, as I need it and Entourage 2001 in oder to restore all my email in order to then import it into the X.2 versions. Plus now I have to send my MAC to Texas to have the drive repaired. Bad drive!