Principle 1 - Encourage Contacts Between Students and Instructor
Principle 2 - Develop Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students
Principle 3 - Use Active Learning Techniques
Principle 4 - Give Prompt Feedback
Principle 5 - Emphasize Time on Task
Principle 6 - Communicate High Expectations
Principle 7- Respect Diverse Talents

Principle 1 - Encourage Contacts Between Students and Instructor
Technology can mightily enhance the learning experience in statistics. In classrooms, which are equipped with computer systems, Internet access, and overhead projection systesm, I use video, color graphs and slides, Google searches, pictures of famous mathematicians, statisticians, and clinical researchers. Online, I present PowerPoint lecures with audio using the same enhancements for each course topic. I added online audio recordings ("radio shows") including interviews of statisticians (myself and my Department Chair), Q&A sessions, and inspiration/encouragement audio for students. I even sing a little (that really wakes them up!). My goal is not "edutainment" but "eduhancement." In the early part of the 20th century, Maria Montessori showed how varied sensory experiences help the very young child learn. The varied educational experiences afforded by multimedia help the graduate student of today.

Student comments from course evaluation:

"The Internet class is well planned and easy to follow. It has not been difficult at all to follow what needs to be done. This class has been a delight."

"Well-prepared course."

"Excellent class. No problems with Biostats 1 being taught online. Instructor was great with an excellent knowledge base and sense of humor."

"First online course. Overall, a great course."

"Dr. Goldsmith was awesome...all in all, it was a very good course."

"Wonderful course."

"Concepts were clearly explained online."

I encourage the use of e-mail for questions, making my prompt response a priority. I also changed my office hours to 8 A.M. to conform to the MPH schedule so that I was available for in-person meetings and telephone calls when students were not in another class.

Principle 2 - Develop Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students
Biostatistics students in PHST 600 are allowed and even encouraged to work together on practice and turn-in homework.   Some students formed work-groups and met in the library.  They used their laptop computers and the wireless network to access homework and the course information.  They could work on one computer and page throught the course on another.  Other students communicated by e-mail and telephone as they worked through the assignments.  Sometimes groups appeared at office hours together.

Principle 3 - Active Learning Techniques
I try to engage my students through the use of "teaching moments." In a class-room environment, I pause mid-formula or mid-derivation and ask for student input. Online, leaving blank spaces and challenging students to complete information before supplying the answer on the next slide serves the purpose - eliciting thinking. Humor is a powerful tool. There are statistics jokes. Goofy pictures and illustrations are fun online. I let the students see me think and gain hope when they realize that the professor, too, struggles with difficult ideas. When I think aloud, students are exposed to reasoning methods. Online, these soliloquies come through in the audio. Once the audio opens, click on Slide 8 and allow it to run through Slide 9. Click here for sample audio.

Finally, I say words of inspiration and encouragement to my students. I tell them how biostatistics is a difficult subject (it is) and recommend repeatedly that they study "early and often" so that complex ideas get the necessary "soaking-in" time. For my online course, I made audio recordings ("radio shows") when the course transitiioned from simple descriptive statistics topics to more advanced inferential methods.

Principle 4 - Give Prompt Feedback
I am available to all my students through regularly schedule office hours, help sessions, appointments, telephone, and e-mail.

The use of BlackBoard facilities for grading of all homework provided instantaneous feedback about grades. Immediately after the due date was past and no more papers could be submitted, students could access their papers and the answer key and comments. Students took the homework very seriously. We had almost 100% rate of submission of all weekly homework. Students for the most part did well and learned from mistakes though the prompt feedback offered by BlackBoard.

Principle 5 - Emphasize Time on Task
Students were encouraged to make optimal use of time.  Time saved by not commuting or sitting in class could be used for assignments and reading.  At students’ request, PowerPoint handouts were made available in PDF form to allow efficient note-taking.

Principle 6 - Communicate High Expectations
Students should be given an opportunity to practice what they have learned. In biostatistics, copious homework assignments are de rigueur if the student is to actually learn to be a practicing statistician or researcher. My online students receive "practice" assignments, with detailed, worked-out answer keys, as well as "turn-in" assignments to be graded. Practice and turn-in homework are assigned each week of the semester. Hard work brings miracles.

Principle 7 - Respect Diverse Talents
Before the mid-term exam begins, I always ask the students to complete a survey about my teaching performance so far. the survey consists of Likert scale ratings and also an open-ended question asking for comments. If possible, I make mid-course corrections of any problems revealed by this survey tool. For the final exam review, I provide a "final review rap". Click here for Final Review Rap.

I also use an online "normal calculator" that students can use during the presentations to help with their learning of normal distribution. I use humorous examples to bring home the points I am trying to make. A sample of this is in Module 7 - Hypothesis Testing with the Pucci, Gucci, and Lucci example. Once opened, click on Slide 25. Please click here for sample presentation.

Lastly, I offered face-to-face review sessions for students who wanted to have a live session together. There were two offered during the semester and were announced in the syllabus.

Student comments from course evaluation:

"Enjoyed this course online - however, I would have liked to have taken it as an in-class course. Many thanks to the instructor for having review sessions for those with different learning styles."

"Course was well-organized. Materials were made easy enough that people could understand. Answer keys were helpful - handouts of presentations to audio lectures were helpful."