Backstage story of a successful online course experience

Authors

  • Mustafa Zulkuf Altan Erciyes University

Keywords:

Online teaching, student reflections, English Language Teaching program, Higher Education, performance-based task-oriented assignments.

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the new type of coronavirus, lecturers at all universities in Turkey, as in other countries, taught synchronous and/or asynchronous online courses. Whether you have taught very few or a lot of online courses, both you and your students are less likely to enjoy them compared to face-to-face teaching. However, when the correct steps are followed, it is indeed possible to hold enjoyable and academically fruitful online classes. This article shares the processes previous to, during and after the implementation of successful online courses along with qualitative student reflections on these courses held in the spring semester of 2020 in the English Language Teaching and Education Department at Erciyes University, Turkey. Students’ comments reveal that compared to other online courses they have taken during the same period, these courses started smoothly, were more successful, were not different from their face-to-face experiences with me, had very well-planned target assignments, didn’t leave them in a sink-or-swim situation, reflected current issues, and prepared them for the future. Students also state that the courses helped to give them an idea of how to plan successful online courses, even though they still prefer face-to-face education if given the chance to choose.

Keywords: Online teaching, student reflections, English Language Teaching program, Higher Education, performance-based task-oriented assignments.

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Author Biography

Mustafa Zulkuf Altan, Erciyes University

Mustafa Zülküf Altan is a full time professor in ELT at the Department of Foreign Languages ​​Education at Erciyes University, Turkey. His research interests include teacher education, teacher development, and managing educational change, individual differences in foreign language learning, alternative assessment, intercultural communication and entrepreneurial teaching.

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Published

2020-10-14

How to Cite

Altan, M. Z. (2020). Backstage story of a successful online course experience. Revista Catalana De Pedagogia, 18, 99–111. Retrieved from https://revistes.iec.cat/index.php/RCP/article/view/148282

Issue

Vol. 18 (2020): Pedagogia en temps de COVID19

Section

Experience articles

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