Strategies and examples

Choosing the most appropriate tool and strategy is the most challenging part of the education design process.

The information below can assist you in making these decisions. For each principle outlined in the Seven Principles for Good Practice a list of possible strategies and tools that you can use is provided.

Principle 1: Encourage contact between student and teaching staff
Principle 2: Develop student to student cooperation
Principle 3: Encourage active learning
Principle 4: Give prompt feedback
Principle 5: Emphasise time on task
Principle 6: Communicate high expectations
Principle 7: Respect diverse talents and ways of learning

Principle 1: Encourage contact between student and teaching staff

Tool	Strategy
Discussion tool	Noticeboard Structured seminar Public tutorial FAQs Guest lecturer
Mail	Bulk notices Questions Monitoring and reporting on student progress
Chat spaces	Consultation times Guest lecturer
Quiz	Monitoring and reporting on student progress
Single files	Contacts page FAQs Noticeboard ‘One stop' help
Web links	‘One stop' help Access to lecturer links
Learning modules	Delivery of content/reading material

Principle 2: Develop student to student cooperation

Tool	Strategy
Discussion tool	Peer learning groups Informal socialising Peer review of assignments
Mail	Peer review of assignments Questions Informal socialising
Chat spaces	Project discussion Informal socialising
Web links	Student suggested links

Principle 3: Encourage active learning

Tool	Strategy
Discussion tool	Role-playing Debating Exercises in communication Student presentations Reflective journals
Mail	Student presentations Reflective journals
Chat spaces	Role-playing Debating Exercises in communication
Quiz	Prelab
Single files	Hypertext Decision trees
Web links	Library - online databases and journals Online applications
Learning modules	Reflective questions embedded in content Set of tasks

Principle 4: Give prompt feedback

Tool	Strategy
Discussion tool	Structured seminar Public tutorial
Mail	Peer review of assignments Questions
Quiz	Self-testing Pretest Assessment Monitoring and reporting on student progress

Principle 5: Emphasise time on task

Tool	Strategy
Discussion board	Noticeboard Structured seminar Public tutorial FAQs Guest lecturer Peer learning groups Informal socialising Peer review of assignments Role-playing Debating Exercises in communication Student presentations Reflective journals Structured seminar Previous discussions Special interest groups
Mail	Assignment submission External listserves Peer review of assignments Questions Student presentations Reflective journals Informal socialising Bulk notices Monitoring and reporting on student progress
Chat spaces	Consultation times Brainstorming
Quiz	Self-testing Pretest Assessment Monitoring and reporting on student progress Prelab Different levels of feedback
Single files	‘One stop' help
Web links	Online databases and journals Study skills help Enrolment information
Learning modules	Past exams Worked solutions

Principle 6: Communicate high expectations

Tool	Strategy
Discussion tool	Guest lecturer Previous discussions
Mail	External listserves
Chat spaces	Guest lecturer
Single files	Learning outcomes
Web links	External organisations Online conferences
Learning modules	Topic outline Past exams Worked solutions

Principle 7: Respect diverse talents and ways of learning

Tool	Strategy
Discussion tool	Special interest groups
Chat spaces	Special interest groups
Quiz	Different levels of feedback Pretest
Single files	Hypertext Different media Decision trees
Web links	‘One stop' help Access to lecturer links Student suggested links Online applications Library - online databases and journals Study skills help Enrolment information
Learning modules	Different pathways Different media

More information

For information and assistance in designing a fully online or distance topic, contact David Green , ph (08) 8201 3096