Online Course Platforms

1. Online Course Platforms Birgit Deir

2. Online Course Platforms: What is it? • Course material has been made available online • Textbook • Workbook • Lab manual • Tests • Audio • Video

3. Online Course Platforms: Learning Tools • Learning tools for today’s digital generation • Chat • Video chat • Tutorials • Practice tools • Adaptive training • Internet links

4. Online Course Platforms: Instructor Tools • Learning tools for today’s digital generation • Announcements • File Repository • Assignments with due dates • Gradebook • Self-grading exercises • Legible student writing

5. Online Course Platforms: Advantages • Immediate Feedback • Right or wrong • Hints • Answers • Sample answers • Students feel comfortable with online work • Digital natives • Spend a lot of time with technology • Learn with technology • Expect technology

6. Online Course Platforms: Quia • Used for different textbooks • Ciao - Cengage Learning • Deutsch heute - Cengage Learning • First used as online workbook/lab manual • Workbook and lab manual simply put online • Identical content • Simple to use and reliable • Few extras • Create games • Gradebook

7. Online Course Platforms: Centro • McGraw-Hill • Dos mundos • Quia at core • Quia embedded in Centro • Centro offers extras • Dashboard • Tutorials • Chats

8. Online Course Platforms: Centro Course Setup • Professor receives book key from publisher • Professor creates account • Professor creates course • Professor generates course code • Student creates account • Student enters course code • Student enters book key after purchasing it

9. Online Course Platforms: Centro Assignments • Choice of textbook or workbook/lab manual • Grading • For example: Graded Practice Self-grading Instructor-graded • Feedback • For example: None Score and key

10. Online Course Platforms: Supersite vhlcentral • Vista Higher Learning • Sag mal • Package options and pricing • Supersite • Supersite and WebSAM • Supersite Plus • Supersite Plus and WebSAM • My choices • Loose-leaf or no textbook • WebSAM required

11. Online Course Platforms: Blended Learning • Online in vhlcentral • Read new concepts • Practice new vocabulary and grammar in structured exercises • Practice Pronunciation • Read cultural texts with exercises • Watch cultural video and answer questions • In-class • Practice vocabulary and grammar in interactive exercises and with free responses • Use new concepts in communicative, unscripted exercises

12. Online Course Platforms: Blended Learning (continued) • In-class (continued) • Summarize culture • Tests (better: proctored outside classroom) • Homework • Review vocabulary and grammar concepts in all types of workbook and lab manual exercises • Video-chat, if available • Prepare for quizzes

13. Online Course Platforms: Connect • Textbooks • French: Vis-à-vis • German: Kontakte • Italian: Avanti • Spanish: Tu mundo (new version of dos mundos) • Purchasing Options • Always ebook • WBLM activities optional

14. Online Course Platforms: Connect Learnsmart • Adaptive practice tool • Covers different aspects of each chapter • When assignment is done correctly, it disappears out of question pool • Students self-assess • Students practice where they need it

15. Recommendations • Select course material • Review textbook and all ancillaries • Get trial account for online material and try it out • Choose components and price of course package • Before classes start • Learn to use the online platform, get training • Make sure online platform works in your school or on your campus • Set up course and prepare student login material • With your students • Be patient when real or perceived software problems occur