Managing Online Courses

This document series provides an overview of key course management teaching strategies (including links to additional resources) for managing an online course. While the framing of these strategies is targeted toward a fully asynchronous, online course, they are also relevant for courses being offered in any modality.

[Note: The content you will explore here has been modified from its original version as an asynchronous micro-course offered to faculty in August 2022 and resources from About online courses. Future offerings can be found at: ctlm.wisc.edu/deepen-your-skills]

These documents present a variety of practical strategies for managing time, communications, and students. In addition to contributing to a more efficient use of time, the strategies shared can reduce the instructor's workload by helping to avoid problems that can occur when students are confused or unclear about what is expected.

Getting Started

This content is organized by the following:

Managing Online Courses: Managing Time, Workload, and Policies

Managing Online Courses: Strategies to Support Students

Most who have taught an online course multiple times have developed a series of "success strategies" to help them operate within the parameters of the online classroom. Sometimes these strategies are refined over several iterations, and even then courses usually require continual improvement. Given appropriate guidance and support, most instructors come to appreciate the unique teaching and learning environment and thrive by mastering the new methods to their benefit. And you may discover that this new learning environment is where you and your students can flourish and thrive.

You will go through trials and errors in finding the right combination of techniques for your style, content and interactions with the learners. As in any new teaching and learning setting, the more you can be flexible and relax, the more you and your students will enjoy the journey.