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[mookie123]

Hello Everyone,

I'm going to be teaching an online intro course in the social sciences this summer. Not only will it be my first time teaching this course, but it will also be my first time teaching an online class. I am fortunate in that almost all of the course prep has been done for me. Essentially, I am charged with facilitating things. The course will have limited enrollment (about 30 students). Does anyone have any tips for how to make this course a success?

Thanks in advance...

[magistra]

Check out all previous threads.  A lot of good stuff has already been put up.  Mark the good ones, so you can re-read them when you start.  And post here when you get stuck!

It's great that the course is set up for you, but I'd take the time to think about what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it.  That way if there's a problem with an assignment, you'll feel more comfortable adapting it to the course.

Know that this will eat up a crazy amount of time.  You're going to have tons of student e-mails about problems accessing the course, etc.  Be mentally prepared for that (though 30 isn't a bad number at all.)

Do your best to give the class a personal touch -- welcome students individually, lots of feedback, fun links, etc.  Retention is a problem, and evaluations tend to be lower too.  Again, having a small class will help, but try to work hard on that area.

See previous threads about how to cut down cheating on exams (timed tests, randomized questions, essays) and papers (turnitin).

Good luck!