Thoughtful design and facilitation is always important in online courses, but this is particularly true in the case of first year offerings. Given that many first year students will still be in the process of “learning how to learn”, it is critical for online teaching in first year to convey a strong sense of connection and social presence. Without this presence, students may feel isolated and searching for clarity and support to succeed. Explicit guidance on how to break down work and plan for assessment will assist students in developing the discipline and habits that will sustain them through their studies, both online and in-class.

Some key considerations when planning to teach a first year online course include:

• What guidelines will you set and what tools or channels might you use to support effective instructor/student and student/student communication? 
• How will you, as the instructor, actively facilitate learning throughout the course, beyond the pre-posted materials?
• How will you provide feedback to your online students regarding their progress, and, in turn, solicit feedback from them regarding the online course?
• What institutional support services might you actively promote to your first year online students to encourage successful practice and success in their online studies? 

Helpful Resources:

Engaging and retaining students online: a case study - A study contemplating a framework for best practice in induction to eLearning for first year students.

The Community of Inquiry Model - A site dedicated to the “COI Framework” – which emphasizes three critical elements in the process of creating an effective online learning experience – Social presence, teaching presence,  and cognitive presence.

Best Practices in Online Teaching - Based on a course by the same name, this is an openly licensed, e-text offering comprehensive guidance for successfully facilitating online learning. 

Faculty Competencies for Online Teaching - Related to the e-text above, this document summarizes faculty competencies for online teaching, as identified by Penn State.