Planning online lessons

What do lesson plans mean in online learning? "Like any teacher, we plan from the top down, with the end result in mind," says Rebecca Lupton, an e-learning instructor at Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Kingston.

She doesn't write the course from scratch, as most of the learning materials have been designed by expert teacher panels for the Ministry of Education. As an online teacher, Lupton previews each unit module and then decides what she wants to use.

"Teachers may edit or modify lessons and alter assignments and discussions, much as they do when they use a text book," says Lupton. "As in the classroom, teachers have a great deal of flexibility in how they choose to have students achieve the course expectations, and they can tailor the learning process to each individual."

The great thing about e-learning, she says, is that teachers can easily use many new-media materials and technologies to keep students engaged.

"In my course we use video and audio links, online interviews, blogging, interactive learning activities and even games. As well, students with Independent Education Plans can easily integrate their required assistive technologies into online learning."

For e-learning resources - created by teachers and easy to download and adapt - check the Ontario Educational Resource Bank at resources.elearningontario.ca.