Understanding your students, their technologies and their access

As you design your course, be sure to keep in mind the "real-world" realities of your students. What are their goals and interests? If you know that they are interested in ancient Greece, then you'll need to be sure to give them chances to have access to materials that help them achieve learning goals.

Also, keep in mind the kinds of access your students are likely to have. If they are not in the same time zone, be sure to build in asynchronous elements for the synchronous activities. For example, be sure to save and archive relevant Chat transcripts. If you use BigBlueButtonBN for web conferences or webinars, be sure to share and/or archive them so that students who are not able to participate live can go back and view them.

Tailoring your courses to meet the needs, interests, and technical realities of your students will help them feel comfortable and confident.