How Can Online Instructors Better Manage Their Workload? by Lance Lee https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl What strategy from the webinar would you like to implement? What additional strategies have you discovered that help manage your workload? en-us 2020-09-10 13:40:37 UTC 2020-09-23 18:35:09 UTC hello@padlet.com FAQs and Self-Grading leej143 https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/734928929 I think creating a one sheet FAQ guide like the presenter mentioned would be helpful. I know that we all have the syllabus, but the FAQ guide can condense that information and perhaps share different information. For example, my Spanish courses use an online book code that I don't include in the syllabus (long story why I don't). I think putting it the code in an FAQ could help a bit. I always use the redirecting strategy the presenter mentioned in the video because it teaches students to be autonomous learners and it reduces my workload. If you spoonfeed students from the start, they will never learn how to wean themselves, right? (I have a 5 month old...)

One strategy I use that helps me save time is to create self-grading quizzes in Sakai and use our online textbook component. These are a huge time saver and provide instant feedback for students. The other strategy I employ is more of a framework. I always think, "What's the cost/benefit of whatever I want to implement?" If I have to give hours of written feedback that no one is going to utilize, then that is simply not a good use of anyone's time. You just have to decide what is warranted in each case.]]> 2020-09-10 13:42:58 UTC https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/734928929 Only make "evergreen" materials https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772212067 Instructors are artists, so we are always tweaking things.  However, I'm slowly learning the lesson about how to not "date" my lecture videos by accidentally referring to the "Fall semester", "2020," and in some cases assignments in a given week.  I'm already six weeks into the semester, but my new strategy for my weekly intro video is going to be more of an evergreen pep talk.  The weekly email I send to the class will be where I mention specific assignments.  Because emails are easier to make and edit than videos, this should save me some time going forward.

Another idea is to have instructors share video lectures that they have made for general use in their department (e.g. that discuss critical course concepts without mentioning their class-specific assignments). Warpwire in our Sakai sites will allow you to create video libraries that you can share with colleagues you choose at Durham Tech.

-- Courtnea Rainey

]]> 2020-09-23 14:20:36 UTC https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772212067 I have already begun to implement most of the strategies mentioned, but what I would like to use in the second mini-session is the Questions forum for more general questions, and I want to determine if there is a way to require fewer forums without the students feeling as if they are in the class by themselves (or just with me, I should say). https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772244202
Like Lance mentioned, self-grading quizzes in Sakai are wonderful, and I love the rubrics function (I know that was a strategy mentioned in the video as well). Something else that saves a little time is exporting the gradebook into Excel so that I can add batch grades and comments, and then re-uploading it into Sakai. For instance, if a bunch of people earned a 100 for that week's participation, I can copy it down the column instead of clicking each box. 
~Janel]]> 2020-09-23 14:27:00 UTC https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772244202 Lots of good ideas here. I have tried the general question forum in the past, and, like John Paul Middleworth, had lackluster results. But I liked his suggestion that you take questions from e-mails and post those questions to the general forum. The FAQ sheet at the beginning of the semester is also a good idea. And I know the rubric function in Sakai is helpful--I always love it when I use it--but I have some pretty complex rubrics. But taking his suggestion that less might be more, maybe I need to think about how to scale back my rubrics. Janel, I'm going to have to play around with you idea of uploading Meetings recordings into Warpwire. Tracking the statistics on a recorded meeting to see who attended is tedious. https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772347707 Lea Bingham

]]> 2020-09-23 14:47:58 UTC https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772347707 How Can Online Instructors Better Manage Their Workload? steinerr7172 https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772565055 One way that I have managed my workload is by making sure that I make a to-do list every day and then cross them off as they are completed. I find that having a physical list allows for more motivation to get things done. From this, I liked the suggestion that you take questions from student e-mails and post those questions to Sakai. This is something that I have never tried, but I think may be helpful to students who may fear e-mailing me as their instructor. ]]> 2020-09-23 15:31:30 UTC https://padlet.com/leej143/7df718i237w53ivl/wish/772565055