4.2.1 Feedback

BCS-EV-32: The student analyzes the role of marketing research in constructing a
small business management model.

 a. Identifies the reasons for conducting research.
 b. Explains the methods of market research, including an evaluation of the main
 research techniques.
 c. Evaluates the role of market research in making business decisions.
 d. Explains ways in which marketing plans are formulated in order to achieve
 organizational objectives.
 e. Describes uses of research findings for global business decisions.

Here is a picture of my assignment:

Here is a picture of the rubric:

4.1.2 Rubrics

I often use rubrics in my classroom for assignments. I believe rubrics are a great way to inform students about assignment requirements as well as assess student learning. Learning in the business education classroom takes place using a variety of formats. Therefore, in some cases, the only way to assess student learning is through the use of a rubric. For this post, instead of creating my own rubric (my usual strategy), I decided to use Rubrics4Teachers to create a rubric for Resume Writing and Cover Letters. Below is a picture of the sample rubric. Notice that there are specific criteria for each component as well as ample room for commentary at the bottom.

4.1.1 Evaluation Methods & Communication Practices

How do communication practices in the online environment correlate to effective feedback?
Communication in the online learning environment is crucial for student success. Communication should take place regularly to make students feel a part of the learning community and create a "path" for continuous communication with the instructor and other students.
Effective feedback is very similar to effective communication. Feedback should continually take place so students can gauge where they stand in class and take corrective measures, if necessary.

Why is authentic feedback important for online learners?
Authentic feedback is especially important for online learners because the face-to-face component is missing (in some cases). Therefore, online instructors should be conscious of providing feedback that is constructive, specific, and timely. If feedback is immediate and specific, then students can take feedback and turn it into a learning experience.

In what ways might an online instructor enrich a student's online experience through feedback?
An online instructor can use a variety of tools to provide students with immediate and specific feedback. Feedback does not have to look the same for each assignment and/or each student. The instructor could tailor the type of feedback and medium for individual students. For example, feedback may be written, recorded voice, synchronous chat, video recording, etc.

3.2.2 Differentiation

Differentiation is crucial to the success of all learners in an online learning environment. I always strive to use a variety of resources to differentiate instructions for all students. Below is an example of a Word Cloud I created using Wordle. I could use this to present new information to students or I could have my students utilize this free online tool in an assignment.



FlipSnack is also a great tool for providing more information on a topic for students. I could use this as a way to provide acceleration or remediation for students in the online class. Here is a link to an example flipsnack for my Entrepreneurship course.

Prezi is a great resource for presentations. Students also enjoy using prezi for assignments. Take a look at the sample prezi I created.

3.2.1 The Newsletter

There are many ways to effectively communicate with stakeholders in an online learning environment. I believe in making it as simple and easy as possible to communicate. Therefore, I would rather create a communication device that can be used over and over again with slight modifications. Therefore, I have chosen Smore, FlipSnack, and ThingLink as the three highest effective methods of communication with stakeholders. Each of these tools provides the online instructor with a way to creatively communicate and portray important information. I like the fact that once the communication has been created, it can be sent again or reposted for all stakeholders to view. In addition, the communication can be easily edited for use later.

See below the examples of each I created.

I created a sample newsletter using Smore.

I created a sample flipbook for an assignment using FlipSnack.

I created a sample image with interactive elements using ThingLink

3.1.2 News

News items are an essential part of any course. I plan to incorporate news items to remind students of upcoming events, assignments, and due dates. In addition, I plan to use news items to encourage students and provide them with additional resources for acceleration and/or remediation, if needed.

There are a variety of resources that can be used to format news items to make them interesting and accessible by all. Listed below are some of the resources I plan to use with my online news items.

Free images for use:
Open Clip Art
Pics4Learning

Free online converter:
Picture Resize

Free image sizer:
Shrink Pictures

Platform for mixing and matching images:
ImageChef

Free video format converter:
FreeMake Video Converter

Tools for video creation:
Animoto
GoAnimate
Jing
Screencast
TeacherTube
Voki

Below is a news item I created to encourage students. I used ImageChef to create my news items. I found the site very easy to use.

I would post this toward the end of the semester when things are hectic and students need a reminder to stay on task because the end is in site.

3.1.1 Ongoing Communication

I created a simple homepage for my business education courses. I used a free online program called weebly. I tried to keep my website simple and consistent. In addition, the information on the homepage is kept to a minimum and only includes the necessities for students. I have links to individual courses, my blog, and helpful links for students such as email system and grades.

Below is a screenshot of my homepage.