“Guidelines for Successful Online Teaching,” Guidelines for Successful Online Teaching (2022)

“Guidelines for Successful Online Teaching,” Guidelines for Successful Online Teaching

Guidelines for Successful Online Teaching

This document lists online teaching practices with suggested guidelines that will help you be successful in an online environment. These practices and guidelines should be used in connection with your study of Teaching in the Savior’s Way. When meeting with your local Seminaries and Institutes (S&I) representative, counsel together and evaluate your online teaching practices. Determine where you do well and where you could improve to better help learners build faith in Jesus Christ and become more like Him.

Teaching Practices	Suggested Guidelines
Teaching Practices Post a Weekly Update for Learners	Suggested Guidelines Guideline: One Canvas announcement is posted at the beginning of each week. More announcements may be posted if needed. These weekly announcements create instructor presence, connect learners to the lesson material, communicate expectations, and encourage learners. They also give teachers the opportunity to invite learners to prepare to learn and a place where they can emphasize the example of Jesus Christ.
Teaching Practices Participate in Discussion Boards	Suggested Guidelines Guideline: There are two types of Canvas discussion boards used in the online S&I course. Required Discussions—A discussion board that is an assignment with points. Teachers should read learner posts and reply with questions, prompts, clarifications, and encouragement. Teachers can write their own posts. Teachers should ask learners to look at and reply to each other’s posts as appropriate. Teachers’ responses should be given promptly. Teachers should post three or more posts per discussion board. Optional Discussions—No one is required to post to the discussion board. However, if a learner does write a post, the teacher should read it and respond with questions, prompts, clarifications, and encouragement. Teachers’ responses should be given promptly. Reading and responding to discussion posts can help teachers learn the circumstances, needs, and strengths of the learners while establishing teacher presence in the online experience. Among other things, discussions also give an opportunity for teachers and learners to share their feelings, experiences, and testimonies.
Teaching Practices Access the Course	Suggested Guidelines Guideline: The online teachers should log in to the Canvas course each day that their learners do. The average number is four days a week. Being present in the online course establishes teacher presence, which encourages learner participation and increases learner satisfaction. Seeing a teacher in the online course also motivates learners to take responsibility for their own learning.
Teaching Practices Write Assignment and Activity Feedback	Suggested Guidelines Guideline: At least one Canvas assignment per learner gets well-written and personal feedback from the teacher each week. When teachers give well-written and personal feedback, it provides an opportunity for them to respond to spiritual impressions about learner needs that they discerned from the activity. It also provides an opportunity to invite the learner to recognize and act on personal revelation and live what they are learning.
Teaching Practices Grade Activities	Suggested Guidelines Guideline: Teachers should grade Canvas activities as soon as possible and should grade all activities within two days of their due date. Enter grades into WISE as soon as possible. Promptly grading activities builds trust with the learner. It shows that the teacher is present and active in the course. Furthermore, when learners know the teacher will review their work, it prompts them to take responsibility for their learning.
Teaching Practices Respond to Learner Questions	Suggested Guidelines Guideline: While resolving questions may take longer, initially respond to learner questions within 24 hours. Learners may reach you in the Canvas Inbox, an announcement, a discussion board, or an email. Timely teacher responses reinforce the principle of creating a safe environment where all are respected and know their contributions are valued. Responses can also provide an opportunity for a teacher to appropriately express love for the learner.
Teaching Practices Track Learner Attendance	Suggested Guidelines Guideline: Online Institute—Track attendance of the weekly gathering. Consider recording attendance in WISE at the beginning of the gathering or directly after it ends. Online Seminary—Track attendance in WISE at least weekly, but consider tracking daily. Attendance is not only a requirement for receiving class credit, but tracking it is also part of getting to know learners’ names and who they are. As teachers observe patterns of attendance, they will better understand the circumstances, needs, and strengths of their learners.

LOCAL CONSIDERATIONS

These guidelines apply to all online teachers. However, with the help of your local S&I representative, these guidelines may be adapted to meet your area’s unique needs. For example:

If you have internet access only two days a week in your area, it may not be reasonable to expect you to log in to Canvas four days a week.
If your online course doesn’t use discussion boards, you are not expected to create one just to meet the discussion board participation guideline.