Lesson Planning for Online Instruction
This document is to assist online teachers in their development of learning activities. This list of suggested online teaching strategies is adapted from Gagne’s Nine Universal Steps of Instruction.
- Gain Attention & Motivate the Learner
- Inform the learner of the outcomes/Explain What is to be Learned
- Recall Previous Knowledge/ Prior Learning
- Present the Material to be Learned
- Provide Guidance for Learning
- Active Involvement/ Practice and Interactive with Content
- Provide Feedback ( Formative)
- Assessment Performance ( Summative)
- Provide Enrichment, Enhance Retention, Transfer of Responsibility
Gain Attention & Motivate Learner
Suggested Strategies
Specificity
Humor
Interactivity
Importance
Curiosity
- Tell an interesting fact or question.
- Have learners develop a question they could ask other learners.
- Be specific about the content to get the student to the heart of the lesson as soon as possible.
- Take a short survey on a controversial question.
- Tell a joke or a pun.
- Show a humorous meme or short video.
- H5P game or activity.
- Develop a quick game using everyday objects that would simulate the skill being used.
- Use a short ice-breaker game.
- Give a short demonstration of content application.
- Present a problem that the content could solve.
- State the importance of content.
- Introduce through current events or case studies.
- Use a visual.
- Painting, Comic, GIF, Meme.
- Use a short video of the content.
- Videocasts, streams.
- Use an audio clip about the content.
- Create a plausible scenario or problem for the content.
- "You are in an FBI investigation, and you are going..."
- This scenario could be continued throughout the lesson based on the content and scenario.
- Create a challenge that is answered, or partially answered, by the lesson.
- Use a discussion board to generate ideas around the lesson.
Resources to Learn More:
Inform the learner of the Outcome/Explain What is to be Learned
Suggested Strategies
Informing Students
Examples
- "I can" statements/student-friendly.
- This is the "Why".
- Summarize what the lesson/assignment will do or require.
- Explain what the content would be used for:
- Real-world connections of learning.
- Example: This type of reflection could be used whenever you read fiction.
- What will the content allow the learner to do?
- Explain the benefit of the content.
- Give a choice on what outcome will be completed.
Resources to Learn More:
Recall Previous Knowledge/Prior Learning
Activating Existing Knowledge
Examples
- Helps commit learning to long term instead of short term.
- Ask students to think about their own knowledge by:
- Pre-writing
- Pre-drawing or concept mapping
- Practice using the skills they already know
- Ask questions about previous experiences.
- Scaffold from a previously taught skill into this lesson:
- Ask questions about previously taught skills
- Take time to explain these previous skills
- Use a short survey of leading questions based on previous knowledge
- Use discussion boards to focus on previous content
Resources to Learn More:
Present the Material to be Learned
Tips for Content Delivery
Examples
Clearly defined learning goals linked to outcomes, written in student-friendly, specific, achievable language.- Periodic recaps of the learning goal.
High-quality content, polished design, and easy navigability:
- Include visuals
- Interactivity
- Include links
- Reality based
- Interactive quizzes
- Tap into emotions - human interest pieces
- Collaboration - forums
- Aesthetically appealing, but doesn't take away from core content
- Organize and chunk meaningfully
- Provide explanations after demonstrations
- Present vocabulary
- Provide examples
- Present multiple versions of the same content, eg, Video demo, lecture, podcast
- Use a variety of media to address different learning preferences
- Virtual field trips
- Questionnaires, surveys
- Gamification
- Forums, journals
- Graphic organizers
- H5P interactives
Content should be delivered in such a way as to create a learning community when possible.
Resources to Learn More:
Provide Guidance for Learning
Supporting Online Learning
Examples
Online learners need coaching to develop the correct online learning behaviours:
- Create an environment that encourages students to participate and makes them feel safe to do so (non-discriminatory language)
- Use interactive discussions
- Ask learners to share experiences and communicate in lessons
- Chunk the information into bite-sized pieces that they can fully learn before they move on to the next topic
- Tie your learning experiences to real-life scenarios or examples that are realistic, informative, and that learners can relate to.
- Set rules, goals, and expectations beforehand - plagiarism
- Require students to take an online self-assessment and report what they think are the characteristics of a successful online student
- Prepare syllabus and assignment due dates carefully and well in advance so that students know what to expect and when
- Prepare a document of Do's and Don'ts for the course, including the rules of web etiquette, posting comments in discussion forums, and communicating concerns to the instructor
- Anticipate the need for a non-instructional venue for online discussions
- Use different formats for online resources and label each clearly so that students can select a format that is most useful to them (i.e. pdf, html, doc, ppt)
- Fully use the capabilities of the available educational technology to enhance student learning
- Keep the conversation and the activities on the topic at hand
- Act as a guide rather than as an instructor to ensure learners are actively learning the subject matter and connecting it to their own lives
- Ask for feedback and make changes accordingly
- Offer technical support
- Visibility of the instructors so that students do not take a passive role in the course
- Podcasts
- Games, badges that allow direct interaction with the lesson
- Lesson chunking
- Video demonstration
- H5P
- Lectures
- Gamification
- Interactive quizzes
- Forums
- Multimedia presentations
- Graphic organizers
- Journals
- Eportfolio
- Video demonstration
- Instructional videos
- Timely feedback
- Mass communications
- Blog posts
- Questionnaires, blog posts
Resources to Learn More:
Active Involvement/Practice and Interactive with Content
Online Discussions
Opportunities to practice
Use positive reinforcement
- Pose a stimulating question
- Brainstorm answers to the question
- Compare ideas
- Fuse to the curriculum
- Video examples
- Wildcard quizzing
- Redo opportunities
- Assign meaningful tasks and activities
- Give clear and concise instructions
- Incorporate group work
- Leverage social software
- Provides means for posting work
- Include aspects of individual responsibility
Examples:
- Before, During, After
- H5P
- Graphic Organizers
- Journals
- Questionnaire
- Comparing
- Videos
- Brainstorming
- Case Studies
- Community Projects
- Compare and Contrast
Resources to Learn More:
Providing Feedback (Formative)
Timely Feedback
Examples
- Timely and constructive feedback to improve learning.
- Offer personal feedback, not general praise, to help learner achieve their goals.
- Encourage students to learn from their mistakes.
- Provide online guidance
- Practice the skill
- Skype
- Phone Calls
- Redo's
- Forums
- Journals
- Quizzes
- Social media post
- Gamification (gaining points, completing challenges)
- Surveys
- Multiple choice questions
- Visuals
- Backchannel
- Connect to Exemplars and Rubrics
- Helpdesk Tutorials
Resources to Learn More:
Assessment Performance (Summative)
Evidence of Achievement
Examples
Ensure students have had an opportunity to practice the skill or show where they are with knowledge of the content.
Evaluation of the purpose, outcome, or skill that the lesson is trying to achieve.
Ensure that Bloom's Taxonomy has been considered when creating summative evaluations
- Exit interviews
- Portfolios
- Projects
- Final Exam
- Case Study
- Presentation
Transfer of Responsibility
Applying Knowledge
Examples:
Encourage students to apply their content information to real-world scenarios and to make connections to their personal lives.
- Apply I do, We do, You do strategies
- Case Studies
- Interview
- Personalized Learning led by the learner
- STEN challenges
- Creation of videos, documentaries
Resources to Learn More: