Questions tagged [online-learning]

Questions related to taking courses over the internet or other electronic distance-based coursework.

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123 votes
18 answers
125k views

Knowing that most students submit assignments right around the deadline, is it advisable not to set deadline that is very late at night?

Like many on this site, I use a Moodle-type online Content Management System to give assignments to my students, and receive the finished work for grading. This is in a traditional context where the ...
ALAN WARD's user avatar
  • 1,880
55 votes
6 answers
12k views

How do I email other students in my online classes, to make friends, without appearing creepy?

I have been studying remotely at my university since September 2021. Each of my weekly classes on Zoom has around ten people. I always turn on my camera. But I still do not know any my classmates. ...
user avatar
55 votes
6 answers
16k views

My professor is not teaching his online course himself, but uses publicly available videos instead. Is this appropriate?

I'm taking a graduate course online this semester, and have noticed a few things: Professor has assigned us a mid-term, a final, and a research paper as the coursework for the class. These are the ...
neutralParadox's user avatar
55 votes
9 answers
11k views

Is it a bad idea to use other professors' Youtube videos as lectures?

I am a graduate student at an American university, and I have been assigned to teach an online math class. I have noticed that there are many lecture videos available on Youtube made by actual ...
user56202's user avatar
  • 820
43 votes
7 answers
13k views

What methods can be used in online exams to genuinely test the students' knowledge and capabilities?

There has been a lot of talk about online teaching in relation to covid-19 and campus shutdowns. This question isn't about that though: my question is about what ways online examinations should be ...
Stumbler's user avatar
  • 2,382
41 votes
2 answers
8k views

Using Discord to support online teaching

This is a question I plan to self answer, but answers from others are very welcome too. This term, I am teaching group and Galois theory. This is a heavily inquiry based learning (IBL) course, where ...
David E Speyer's user avatar
38 votes
5 answers
9k views

How can I deal with students who try to steer a course (in the online setting)?

I am not a course instructor, but I am a teaching assistant for a large course in STEM in the large US school. I have been soliciting advice from students to improve the course and tutorial for the ...
Sin Nombre's user avatar
  • 1,029
36 votes
5 answers
48k views

What is the value of a Coursera certificate?

I took up an introductory course to forensic science in Coursera, because it was actually the only forensics course I could find that was accessible, however I do wonder if it is worth anything in my ...
user3079666's user avatar
  • 1,728
30 votes
5 answers
41k views

How can I prove that I didn't plagiarize?

This year I have decided to take a Computer Science course on FLVS, an online learning institution. Throughout the whole year, I worked well, and I had a lot of fun with the course. I was close to ...
Vishwa Iyer's user avatar
29 votes
2 answers
4k views

Is it acceptable for paid online course to use quizzes and materials from elsewhere on the internet?

This question is specifically about a high school course, but it should be applicable to any online course in general. I was taking a physics course online to skip it in school, those courses are ...
Maltysen's user avatar
  • 391
28 votes
4 answers
4k views

Distance learning: taken seriously?

I'm currently in the first year of a six year bachelor's degree aiming for astrophysics. The course is a home/distance learning setup run by the Open University. While I am enjoying it thoroughly, I ...
user35745's user avatar
  • 383
25 votes
4 answers
6k views

Can I include the completion of Udacity and Coursera classes I have attended in an academic CV?

Can I include in my academic CV that I have attended and completed the Coursera and Udacity classes I have been taking? I understand that these are not anything major, but the courses definitely gives ...
phoxis's user avatar
  • 498
23 votes
3 answers
852 views

How important is seeing the face of the instructor?

So, I am yet to make up my mind on which is a superior mode of teaching in flipped classroom videos: Khan academy type model where you see slides or a digital drawing board and only listen to the ...
maximusyoda's user avatar
22 votes
10 answers
8k views

How to read a textbook for distance learning coursework - do I need to work on fact recall, or is understanding enough?

There's perhaps a better title for this question, but I can't immediate think of one - suggestions for amendment welcome. I'd like to clarify the purpose of reading textbooks. It sounds obvious at ...
James's user avatar
  • 578
22 votes
5 answers
4k views

Can the university force me to share my courses publicly online? I want to use my course material to write a book in the future [closed]

As a response for the Covid-19 pandemic, my university built an electronic platform, and is now ordering professors to share their courses on it. The school platform is open to the public, so I'd ...
you-slamm's user avatar
  • 936
21 votes
4 answers
12k views

How can I deal with claims of technical difficulties for an online exam?

I was talking with some instructors, and we noticed that there is a pattern of claims about technical difficulties. I wonder if there are any rules to follow of whether to allow or don't allow ...
Thomas Lee's user avatar
  • 4,980
21 votes
2 answers
3k views

Moderating online education forums: delete, snip or leave rudeness?

I'm a moderator for an online forum for a particular module at a distance-learning University. Part of the job is to answer questions regarding course materials, the other main part is to be on the ...
jambrothers's user avatar
20 votes
9 answers
7k views

Should live sessions be recorded for students when teaching a math course online?

I am a course instructor. In my courses, which are now online due to the pandemic, I have optional live sessions. In those live sessions, I give examples of how to solve problems (it's a math-based ...
StatsSorceress's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
2k views

Should remote teaching sessions be shorter than classroom sessions?

In normal years, when I teach in a physical classroom, I teach in sessions of ~90 minutes, with ~30 minutes break. This year, all teaching is done via Zoom (in real-time), and I wonder whether I ...
Erel Segal-Halevi's user avatar
19 votes
1 answer
1k views

Tips for transition to online classrooms given university shutdowns in response to COVID-19

Given the recent shutdowns of many universities across the world, there's an increased interest in online education techniques. In my case, I am a TA for a quantum chemistry class, and I'm finding it ...
jezzo's user avatar
  • 299
18 votes
12 answers
11k views

Should I not ask my students about their hometown?

Recently, I taught a class of five students. I asked for their native place and all said that their hometown is X, but I didn't tell them my reason for asking. I asked them because I can communicate ...
hanugm's user avatar
  • 7,779
18 votes
3 answers
6k views

Does dropping a Coursera course look bad in a PhD application to the university offering the course?

A few weeks ago I've enrolled in a Coursera course offered by university A, without asking for a certificate. I've completed some of the work, but now my university holds a course on the same topic, ...
Pandora's user avatar
  • 1,473
16 votes
3 answers
5k views

Why would a grad school not want me to defer admission?

I have been accepted to a fairly competitive online computer science-related graduate program (in the US). It is a part-time program geared toward working professionals. During the application process,...
tony_tiger's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
19k views

How do the completion of online courses impact a Master's application?

I see places like Coursera, Udacity and EdX offer certificates upon successful completion of course work. Also most of the people doing recorded teaching at these places are famous and well known ...
teenage mutant ninja turtle's user avatar
15 votes
7 answers
6k views

Why are online lecture notes usually not accessible to non-students?

When looking for online lecture notes, I notice that most of the time you have to be a student and login in using your institution information to get access. Why would a professor not show the lecture ...
zdm's user avatar
  • 809
15 votes
4 answers
2k views

Are there any aspects of PhD work that do not translate well to distance learning?

In another question about distance PhDs (Do any schools offer teaching or research assistantships via distance education?), I received several comments noting that PhDs on-line are of inferior quality ...
Village's user avatar
  • 12.4k
15 votes
4 answers
1k views

What are the benefits for universities/professors to record online courses?

What are the benefits for the universities and particular professors in recording online courses (MOOC)? Do they get paid by Coursera and similar sites? Do they pursue publicity? I know that they ...
Max's user avatar
  • 259
14 votes
10 answers
4k views

Online tool for receiving student files

I'm a TA in several modules and one thing I couldn't find yet is a system to help me manage student lab submissions. Most online collaborative tools I've seen do not allow me to, or make it quite ...
DanGar's user avatar
  • 141
13 votes
3 answers
7k views

How do MIT OpenCourseware and real MIT courses compare?

Are MIT courses much different from MIT OpenCourseWare? I am curious, because as a high schooler, I have some intent to study from MIT OpenCourseWare. Will this allow me to be more comfortable if I ...
AKA's user avatar
  • 131
13 votes
3 answers
1k views

Does one get academic credit towards a degree for open online courses?

Lately lots of courses like udacity, coursera, and MITx are provided online. I attended most of them; also I have attended courses in OCW provided by MIT. Now I desire to earn some credits for ...
user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
6k views

How is a Coursera exam typically conducted?

Many Coursera online courses have an exam component. This raises the question: How is a Coursera exam typically conducted? It seems non-obvious to me how one would conduct an exam involving students ...
Douglas S. Stones's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
21k views

What is the status/reputation of the University of South Africa (UNISA)? [closed]

I would like to follow PhD studies in my field of Computer Science. The problem is that I have to work in my native country. I have read that this university, UNISA, is known because of their online ...
Layla's user avatar
  • 8,735
11 votes
3 answers
912 views

Online vs hard copy, which texts are students more likely to read?

I am wondering if anyone knows of any studies that indicate whether students read online texts more or less than hard copy texts. I am in the midst of trying to "reboot" the intro stats class I teach ...
Matt Brenneman's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
3k views

How are instructors compensated for teaching a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)?

This question prompted me to wonder what compensation comes with teaching a MOOC. Most of these seem to be sponsored by universities, but my university doesn't offer them and neither did my PhD ...
Thomas's user avatar
  • 4,084
11 votes
1 answer
422 views

How does one go about starting a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)?

Currently my university does not offer any MOOCs. I am interested in creating one. How should I go about it? Does my university need to sign an agreement with one of the providers such as Coursera or ...
Michael Horwitz's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

What to do if my professor won't give me a grade for a test?

So I took this online class and the professor didn't grade our exams till the end of the semester and I was surprised to learn that I got a 0 on the first one. Now I remember taking this test and ...
user102164's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
325 views

Do online students deserve video content?

I teach different courses online and in person and expect all my students to read textbooks and web pages. The online students get an extra explanatory text every week that is meant to replace the ...
Aaron Brick's user avatar
  • 5,048
9 votes
6 answers
69k views

Is it possible to do a cheap or free online or distance Ph.D. program? [closed]

Is it possible do to an online or distance Ph.D. program at all? If so, are there ones that are cheap or free?
Peter's user avatar
  • 131
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

What value does self-learning a course (or several) have in graduate admissions?

I am an undergraduate student who hopes to switch my major from engineering to Physics. Although this switch is possible, I lack several crucial foundation courses in Physics such as electrodynamics ...
justauser's user avatar
  • 1,419
9 votes
6 answers
899 views

Best strategy to learn programing for graduate research data analysis in biology

I'm actually asking this question on behalf of a sibling who's pursuing a PhD in Biology. While I'm a Mechanical Engineering student and am "computer-savvy" and experienced in learning programming ...
pheidlauf's user avatar
  • 191
9 votes
4 answers
1k views

Overlearn in undergraduate College - good or bad idea?

I have no choice but to take courses I've already learnt in college. So is it a good idea to overlearn? Would overlearning help me to get into graduate school? There are many ways for me to spend ...
user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
688 views

How to get students to use the course forum?

Forums are common features of online courses. The software is usually provided by the institution. It is in everyone's interest to make a course forum useful, maybe even lively; generally we want more ...
Aaron Brick's user avatar
  • 5,048
9 votes
1 answer
988 views

Teacher has done nothing all semester - should I say something?

My Teacher for a required course has been completely unreliable for any amount of actual teaching. He is honestly the worst teacher myself or pretty much any of the other students have ever had. It'...
zfrisch's user avatar
  • 201
8 votes
3 answers
3k views

In-class pop quizzes (online) and how to moderate them

I teach an undergraduate course in thermodynamics. In class pop (surprize) quizzes account for about 10% of the grade. I use canvas for my in-class quizzes (and to collect homework assignments, start ...
dearN's user avatar
  • 4,230
8 votes
5 answers
2k views

My students are planning on taking an exam together via Zoom

I am a college instructor at a university in the United States. I am giving an exam to my students in a few days, and I am aware that some of them are having conversations about making a Zoom meeting ...
anonymous's user avatar
  • 692
8 votes
1 answer
271 views

Would summarizing peer-reviewed articles on a blog be frowned upon?

Lately I've been reading a lot of the influential papers in my field (computer science, but specifically, machine learning). What's about to happen if I decide to publish my detailed notes (along with ...
rodrigo-silveira's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
218 views

Problem with online class

I am a student at my local community college taking pre-nursing classes. My professor for A&P II requires a 360 camera while taking all the tests online on response. I have two small kids who I ...
awuor A's user avatar
  • 81

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