Choosing Materials & Formats

There are certainly more types of materials and formats available to use in online teaching than in F2F teaching. It is best to use many of these when presenting information online. Variety works well. You may need to include instructions for students on how to use some of formats and you should always consider cost to students as well as differences in student technical expertise. Some instructors have actually mailed materials as "on loan" to students for the semester, to be mailed back at the end.

(For information on Bb course containers, see Server or Getting Started. For more on materials and formats, see Content and Multimedia )

	Textbook	Best if visual and organized into workable sections Online e-books are available - less expensive, but not as portable - also reading large amounts of text online can be tiring (smart phones, and e-book readers may change this - see sidebar) Consider using no textbook at all
	Supplements	Publisher content (includes Bb Course Cartridges - called e-packs in WebCT) can be included as less expensive bundles with textbooks CD/DVDs can contain extra videos, presentations, labs
	Video/Audio	Can be linked to Bb Streaming allows instant viewing with download lag Flash Video (.flv), QuickTime (.mov) and RealPlayer (.rm) are common formats (see Multimedia)
	Presentations	Convert PowerPoint or Word files to HTML or PDF from within each program for easy display within Bb Add graphics, audio narration, and video (see Content) Use free "flowgram" programs for interactive Web presentations (see Programs/Applications for information) For ways to reduce file size, see sidebar in Content
	Graphics and Animation	Use a digital camera or royalty-free clipart Develop you own animations using Flash or other programs (see Multimedia) Add narration to even still photos, diagrams, charts, or graphs for effect
	Podcasts (Vodcasts) and more ("moblile learning:)	Mp3 audio or video (depending on model) Stored on your web site Can also use smartphones Example of publisher content using the video iPod: Go Chemistry View Whitepaper explanation View You Tube Video Take a look at Apple's iTunes University
	Exercises	Various programs allow you to make interactive crossword puzzles, games, flashcards (see Useful Resources) Drag and drop for matching-type exercises (Flash, Director, or Dreamweaver could easily create these - see Programs/Applications)
	Web Links	Newspapers, journals, academic departments online (see Useful Resources) Can even be viewed on newer smartphones
	Libraries	Video with tips to help your students conduct quality research Give assignments to students involving local or college libraries
	Labs	Use simulated, online, or at-home lab exercises - "dry" labs (see sidebar for links and examples)
	Conferencing, Webcasting	Two-way video and audio for live virtual classrooms Students need a connected camera and microphone (webcam, headset) Special software (such as DimDim) allows interaction - see YouTube video on CCC Confer Tool For a list of conferencing solutions see Useful Resources Phone conferencing is another option

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