Abstract

Based on the authors' five years of experience of teaching online, internet-based business classes, this paper describes and virtual class strategies for developing interactive virtual classrooms. Synchronous and asynchronous teaching strategies and learning exercises are presented. A beginning theory of interactive online classrooms is presented. Three major areas of focus will be 1) course design-- specific guides for transforming a regular in-person class into a virtual version of the class. 2) course management--techniques and need for forming interactive cyber communities are discussed. 3) lessons learned--a discussion of lessons learned in working with virtual classrooms and virtual community building, emphasizing facilitating interactivity, keeping technology simple, and designing intuitive navigation.

Introduction

As online delivery of classes becomes more and more popular, it becomes incumbent on designers and teachers of these virtual courses to assure quality learning experiences. Online courses allow geographically divergent students and teachers to come together into a single space for learning. The medium itself does not create a quality class; course design, teaching style, and student makeup determine to a great extent the atmosphere of the conference (Eastmond, 1995). What is the heart and soul of the course is not content, but interaction (Draves, 2000). The collaboration involved in learning together in this way truly creates a sense of synergy. An atmosphere of excitement and passion for learning and working together is created (Palloff and Pratt, 1999). In order to make the virtual classroom engaging, and come alive for the learner, the designer and manager of the classroom must pay attention to strategies for interaction.

Figure 1: Pedagogy of Online Course Delivery