How Much Should I Participate?

One of the first questions I get from those who are new to teaching online goes something like this, “How much time should I be spending in the online classroom?” It’s hard to really give an accurate number because classes differ greatly depending on the subject matter, assignments, and individual teaching style. With that said, I think that a good baseline is to devote the weekly time you would have been in the face-to-face classroom to your online classroom. This may seem obvious to some, especially veteran online teachers, but it’s a very new and helpful baseline for those new to online teaching. So, if you teach a 3 credit hour class, put three hours in your calendar to participate and administrate your online course each week. I really mean to put it on your calendar and treat it just like an appointment.

You may be thinking, “Three hours is not nearly enough.” It may not be, but you have to start somewhere and have something to measure against as you feel out just how much time you need to really spur on your learners.

Finally, it’s important to note that this is not time for grading; it’s time devoted to interaction via discussions, email, and whatever other means you have chosen to engage your students.