Best Practices for Distance Learning_Instructor Tips NTLC

Use virtual group work for assignments and dialogue to help students increase their course competencies, build relationships with classmates, and develop interpersonal communication skills. While not all instructors use groupwork assignments, if you do, here are some best practices from Faculty Focus, Higher Ed Teaching Strategies, Magna Publications: Intentionally create teams of members who bring different traits and skills to the group. Keep groups small and odd numbered. Teams comprised of 3 to 5 students are manageable and an odd number of participants eliminates the potential for groups being split when making decisions. Set clear expectations for individual contributions. Identify individual contributions and expectations for each team member. Use a jigsaw approach to divide projects into equal parts and provide a framework that helps facilitate that dissemination process. Create a virtual group space. Include a discussion board, a file sharing area, and a space for live, real-time sessions or chats. Provide guidance so that all students know how to access and use the virtual team space to support their group work.

8