Uncommon Sense Teaching: Teaching Online from Coursera

In Uncommon Sense Teaching: TEACHING ONLINE we’d like to help you to move toward fresh approaches to online teaching that build on the latest insights from scientific research. We’ll use insights from movie-making—not to mention from odd visual tricks in Barb’s kitchen—to see how students learn, both independently and together. We all know, for example, that social learning is valuable in helping students grapple with tough concepts as well as in making learning more fun. But if you understand what is happening in the brain during social learning, you can also understand why certain approaches commonly used in online learning, such as discussion forums, can sometimes pose a challenge. As you will see, we can use insights from neuroscience not only to motivate our students, but to help them change their very identity.

Our course is designed for university professors, vocational instructors, K-12 teachers, coaches, business trainers, parents, and in fact, anyone who is trying to teach concepts or skills online. We're not just talking about traditional academic materials—if you’ve ever considered teaching a course on Udemy, putting up a video series on YouTube, or launching your own educational blog, this course is also for you. An essential and exciting point is that students can learn even BETTER online than they can in the traditional face-to-face classroom. That’s whether you’re teaching synchronously—that is, live, via a platform like Zoom; or you’re teaching asynchronously—that is, any time—by having videos and other teaching materials accessible to students whenever they want.

You can take this course independently from the other two "Uncommon Sense Teaching" courses in this specialization—some of the neuroscience- and cognitive-psychology-based insights we’ll mention here in simple ways are explored more deeply in those other courses. So feel free to take the other two courses in the specialization in conjunction with or after this course. If you’ve already taken the other two courses, you’ll find that this course reviews and extends the practical insights from neuroscience you’ve already received in unexpected new directions. And you’ll find even deeper insights we haven’t covered before.

In TEACHING ONLINE you'll be joining a trio of experienced online instructors who have taught millions in some of the world's most popular online courses. One of our deepest goals for this course is to help YOU to teach others to improve their ability to reach and teach students. We’ve loaded the animations and visuals we've developed for this course online in PowerPoints (licensed under Creative Commons) in the assets under the videos, as well as in the resources section. You can rework these PowerPoints as you wish to reteach this material to your colleagues and students. Your sharing and resharing of this material is one of the best things you can do to help us all move teaching and learning forward to a visionary future. YOU are the foundation—children, adults, and society as a whole can leap ahead because of your desire to learn and spread these new ideas!

What's inside

Syllabus

Schemas, Motivation, and Teaching Online

A major challenge in teaching—especially teaching online—is how to motivate your students. This week, we’ll introduce the concept of schemas—those frameworks in long-term memory that help form our very identities. As we’ll see, increasing our motivation can involve changing our identities—a process that good online teaching can spur. What is good online teaching? It’s teaching that avoids “checkbox” approaches that seem to satisfy all the requirements, but in reality, produce poor online learning experiences for students. There are many paths past these challenges—dive into the details with us in this week’s videos!

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Teaches how to help students improve their ability to reach and teach students

Led by experienced online instructors who have taught millions in some of the world's most popular online courses

Provides practical insights from neuroscience to help you teach others

Appropriate for various teaching roles and contexts, including university professors, vocational instructors, and parents

Covers essential principles and techniques for effective online teaching, including motivation, schema theory, and retrieval practice

Course materials include animations and visuals that can be reused for teaching purposes

Reviews summary

Neuroscience-backed online teaching strategies

According to students, this course offers profound, neuroscience-based insights for effective online teaching, distinguishing itself from typical 'how-to' guides. Learners frequently praise the engaging and memorable delivery, particularly Barbara Oakley's energetic style and the use of unique metaphors and movie-making analogies. The content is widely regarded as highly practical and immediately applicable, providing actionable strategies for motivating students, enhancing retention, and improving engagement. While some advanced learners might find certain foundational concepts reviewed, the course is broadly celebrated for its transformative impact on teaching practices, offering clear explanations of complex cognitive principles.

Excellent for all levels, though some parts may be review.

"While some concepts were familiar from 'Learning How to Learn', this course specifically tailored them to online teaching, which was useful."

"It provided a great foundation for me as a new online instructor, covering essential principles clearly."

"As an experienced educator, I still found many fresh perspectives and deeper insights into student motivation and learning."

Downloadable PowerPoints are useful for re-teaching.

"The downloadable PowerPoints were a fantastic bonus, allowing me to easily re-teach these concepts to my colleagues."

"I appreciated having the visual assets available; it made it easy to review and reinforce the learning points."

"The materials provided are excellent for extending the learning beyond the course itself."

Focuses on unique challenges of online learning.

"The course effectively addresses the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching in the online environment, which traditional pedagogy often misses."

"It provided specific strategies for improving online discussion forums and fostering social learning virtually."

"I found the insights into synchronous vs. asynchronous teaching particularly relevant for my current needs."

Valuable for diverse educators and content creators.

"This course is a must-take for anyone creating online content, not just traditional teachers; it applies to YouTube and blogs too."

"I found it incredibly useful for my vocational training program, giving me new ways to engage adult learners."

"As a parent homeschooling, the insights on motivation and attention were surprisingly applicable to my children's learning."

Barbara Oakley's teaching style is highly engaging.

"Barbara Oakley's engaging teaching style and clear explanations made the complex topics easily digestible and fun."

"Her passion for teaching is truly infectious; it motivated me to rethink my own teaching approaches."

"I really enjoyed the energetic delivery and the way the concepts were presented through unique metaphors."

Offers concrete tips for immediate real-world use.

"I was able to apply many of the strategies immediately to my own online classes, seeing noticeable improvements in student engagement."

"The course provided practical tips on everything from camera angles to improving discussion forums, which were very helpful."

"It's full of actionable ideas that can be implemented right away, regardless of your teaching level."

Applies cognitive science to actionable online teaching.

"This course brilliantly distills complex neuroscience into actionable strategies for effective online teaching."

"I found the practical insights on motivation and identity change, rooted in neuroscience, incredibly valuable."

"Unlike other courses, it explained the 'why' behind teaching methods, not just the 'how', which is truly empowering."

"The course provides a solid, neuroscience-backed foundation for improving online course delivery."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Uncommon Sense Teaching: Teaching Online with these activities:

Read 'Mindset' by Carol Dweck

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This book explores the concept of mindset and how it can impact learning. Understanding mindset can help students develop a growth mindset and improve their learning outcomes in this course.

View Mindset - Updated Edition on Amazon

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Read the book.
Reflect on the key concepts of mindset.
Identify ways to apply mindset principles to your own learning.

Review Schemas

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Schemas are mental structures that organize our knowledge and experiences. Reviewing schemas can help students understand how their prior knowledge and beliefs can impact their learning in this course.

Browse courses on Schemas

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Reflect on your existing knowledge of schemas.
Identify how schemas can influence your learning.
Develop strategies to challenge and update your schemas.

Follow Tutorials on Video Editing

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Following tutorials on video editing can help students develop the skills needed to create engaging and effective videos for their online teaching.

Browse courses on Video Editing

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Identify a video editing software and online tutorials.
Follow the tutorials to learn the basics of video editing.
Experiment with different editing techniques.

Five other activities

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Join an Online Study Group

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Joining an online study group can provide students with the opportunity to collaborate with peers, discuss course material, and support each other's learning.

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Identify and join an online study group.
Participate actively in group discussions.
Collaborate on projects and assignments.

Create a Mind Map

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Creating a mind map can help students visualize the relationships between different concepts in the course material. This can improve their understanding and retention of the material.

Browse courses on Visual learning

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Identify the main topic of the mind map.
Brainstorm related concepts.
Organize the concepts in a hierarchical or radial structure.

Retrieval Practice

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Retrieval practice is a technique that involves actively recalling information from memory. This can help students improve their ability to retain the material covered in this course.

Browse courses on Retrieval

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Identify key concepts from the course material.
Create flashcards or use a spaced repetition app.
Regularly test yourself on the material.

Attend a Workshop on Online Teaching

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Attending a workshop on online teaching can provide students with practical tips and strategies for improving their teaching skills in this course.

Browse courses on Online Teaching

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Research and identify relevant workshops.
Register for a workshop that aligns with your teaching goals.
Actively participate in the workshop and take notes.

Develop an Online Course Syllabus

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Creating an online course syllabus can help students organize and plan their teaching for this course. This can improve the quality of their instruction and help them achieve their teaching goals.

Browse courses on Course Design

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Gather information about the course and its objectives.
Outline the course content and schedule.
Develop learning activities and assessments.

Career center

Learners who complete Uncommon Sense Teaching: Teaching Online will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Learning Manager

Learning Managers apply instructional design theories and practices to improve the teaching and learning process. They help students achieve their academic goals by creating and delivering effective online course content, facilitating discussions, and providing feedback on student work. By understanding how students learn, Learning Managers can help them succeed in their studies and prepare for their careers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Learning Manager

Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers create and develop educational materials and programs. They use their knowledge of instructional design principles and best practices to build effective and engaging learning experiences. This course can help Instructional Designers improve their understanding of how students learn, both independently and together, and how to use that knowledge to develop more effective online learning materials.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Educational Consultant

Educational Consultants help schools, businesses, and other organizations improve their educational programs and practices. They can work with a wide range of clients, from K-12 schools to universities to businesses, helping them to develop and implement effective online learning programs.

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Online Instructor

Online Instructors develop and deliver online courses and lessons. Some online instructors are full-time employees of educational institutions, while others work as independent contractors.

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Learning and Development Manager

Learning and Development Managers plan and implement training and development programs for employees. They work with employees at all levels, from entry-level to senior management, to help them develop their skills and knowledge.

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Curriculum Developer

Curriculum Developers design and develop educational programs and materials.

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Education Researcher

Education Researchers study the teaching and learning process. They use their research to develop new and more effective ways of teaching and learning.

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Teacher

Teachers plan and deliver instruction to students in a variety of settings, including schools, colleges, and universities.

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Training Manager

Training Managers plan and implement employee training programs. They work with managers and employees to identify training needs.

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Professor

Professors teach and conduct research at colleges and universities.

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Education Administrator

Education Administrators manage the day-to-day operations of schools and other educational institutions.

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Principal

Principals are the chief academic officers of schools. They are responsible for the overall management of the学校.

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Instructional Coach

Instructional Coaches work with teachers to improve their teaching practices.

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Education Consultant

Education Consultants help schools, businesses, and other organizations improve their educational programs and practices.

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Education Policy Analyst

Education Policy Analysts study and evaluate education policies and programs. They make recommendations for changes to policies and programs based on their research.

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