It’s helpful to divide the tasks into categories. Though not all-inclusive, we’ve identified four task categories: design, administrative, facilitative, and evaluative.
Design Tasks
Design Tasks occur mainly before the course begins and are determined by the type of course that is being taught - a new course, a converted course, or a revised course. These tasks also indicate your role or roles and clarify your workload, which depends on the type and focus of the content, the course format, interactive strategies, technology use, and the support provided.
Administrative Tasks
Administrative Tasks involve those non-content course areas of communication, management, and support. Workload in this category is determined by the number of students enrolled, their experience, and the technology used. Administrative tasks start before the course begins with the orientation activities for learners. During the course, these tasks involve continuing communication (for example, twitter), managing assignments, and providing technical support.
Facilitative Tasks
Facilitative Tasks require instructor and learner engagement. Here, workload is determined by the depth of engagement during the delivery of course. To help manage workload in this category, you can limit the number of learner posts, set strict discussion guidelines, use group work to share class leadership with learners, and avoid group work when there is high enrollment or when learners have time constraints. You might also choose to hold synchronous chats when course content requires demonstration, language skills, or participation with guest speakers.
Evaluative Tasks
Evaluative Tasks include individual and group/team assessment and
involve formative feedback on learner experience. To manage evaluation, first
determine appropriate approaches, then consider enrollment, course strategies,
the technology used, and the time of evaluation. You might also want to use a
grading grid and create a file with feedback comments to help save. Other
options are group rather than individual grading, peer grading, prompt feedback
to save time, and assigning virtual team projects.
Once a starting point for course design has been determined, you should select
a framework for designing the course. A suggested framework is our
"Framework for Designing Online Courses with a Sense of Presence."
References
Conceição, S. C. O, Lehman, R. M. (2011). Managing Online Instructor Workload: Strategies for Finding Balance and Success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. O. (2010). Creating a sense of presence in online teaching: How to “be there” for distance learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
