Assignment 4

Due to the amount of revisions that I anticipate making throughout the next four weeks, I feel that I will need to postpone my delivery to the 2^nd week of March. This should give me ample time to prepare and test the course units, identify a target group for whom to deliver the course and still allow me time to gather and assess student feedback. My main goal is to have multiple resources available in multiple formats and implement an assignment that isn’t heavily reliant on technology, which accommodates different learning styles, yet fulfills the learning objectives.

My course delivery will demonstrate a good start of the course units and will manage and motivate students via online discussion. I have group projects scheduled within the course, however they will not be included within the units administered. I may request that my students access the course and review the syllabus, technology checklist and orientation materials and participate in a getting acquainted activity prior to officially opening the course.

I intend on delivering these “Good Start” materials by March 7^th. Ideally, I would deliver the materials two weeks prior to the first lesson because of all of the technology requirements. In this case, I have alternative means of obtaining the technology in place due to the cost of the software, so one week should be sufficient time to become familiarized with the course and its requirements. This will also give me a little time to profile my students and make any last minute adjustments.

Included in my good start materials are: A general class description, expectations for my students, a welcome page, the syllabus, a 10-week interaction schedule, links to additional resources, a student survey, a technology checklist and a brief discussion requirement. I will also add an mp3 file and an accompanying transcription describing the course layout and steps needed to navigate through the site. I have held off on this for now until I finalize my layout.

On March 7^th I will send out emails asking the students to access the course and complete all of the orientation topics by March 14^th. This will leave the students with a week to complete the sample lesson and submit their assignments to be evaluated. Most of the orientation topics are text and web resources intended to give the student an idea of what they can expect from the course as well as what is expected from them.

I have also included a brief survey for the students to complete prior to the first week of instruction.  Included within the survey are a technology checklist and a few questions designed to provide me with a general idea of what each student’s experience and comfort levels are as they relate to the course content. The last activity within the good start topics is a class discussion forum where students will post information on themselves in an effort to get acquainted with their fellow classmates and offer further useful feedback.

The only real way to know if the orientation materials have served their purpose and that we’re off to a promising start is by analyzing the student feedback. I will look closely to see where we are as far as skill level (both technical and musical), interest level, and background experience. If the students meet the standard proficiency requirements and have a genuine interest in the course, then I don’t foresee any irresolvable complications. I believe that obtaining the technology will pose the biggest obstacle and I’m currently looking into an alternate means of achieving this without sacrificing my course objectives.

My primary goals for the coarse are to maximize communication between student and instructor and make this an enjoyable learning experience. Music is about creativity and it is very difficult to be creative in an uninspiring work environment. For this reason I will grant my students a little more leeway with assignments than the typical online course. As an instructor it is my job to be particularly attentive to my students so that I can maximize their potential through this course.