How To Adapt Classroom Based Fashion Courses to
Online Courses
weteachfashion.com /blog/how-to-adapt-classroom-based-fashion-courses-to-online-courses
One of the questions we often get asked by lecturers and teachers that deliver classroom based courses is how
to adapt their classroom courses for online delivery. So in this post, you'll learn about eleven practical things you
can do to make that transformation.
Before we get started we're assuming you already have content that you are allowed to use either because you
are the legal owner of the material or you have permission from the copyright owner. Then you'll be free to make
the transformations.
11 Tips to Transform Your Online Fashion Courses
1. Manage expectations up front by creating a welcome message or video. The aim of this is for students to
get to know you. It helps students get started with your online course by explaining the context of the
course, how it will run and sets the tone of your expectations too. As teachers, we would do this at the first
meeting of a classroom course so the reason and rationale for it are the same.
2. Students can't come up to you at the end of a class and ask questions so ensure they know how to
connect with you. Provide email and contact information, your availability online, and feedback and
response times. Be clear and upfront and don't promise anything that you can't honour. This way they'll
know what to expect from you.
3. Share your explicit instructions and guidelines for successful participation. Every course creator will have
a different approach so it's best to let your students know what you are looking for. This should include
how to successfully accomplish course objectives, as well as mentioning policies and expectations you
have for online behavior in discussion forums that you are providing alongside the course content.
4. It's important that you build a personal rapport with your students both in the discussion forums and the
content. Do this by keeping your content informal and your presentation style relaxed and personal. You
will build more of a connection this way and avoid coming across as lecturing or dictatorial.
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5. Encourage active learning by adapting activities from your classroom for the online environment.
6. Develop cooperation and interaction among students. Encourage them to ask each other questions as
much as they do you. They can learn from each other so encouraging peer to peer interaction is
beneficial.
7. Provide frequent recaps on what you have covered in lessons and modules. Build in opportunities for
students to give you feedback on what they have covered and how you have presented it.
8. Create clear expectations of the time students will need to dedicate to the course to successfully complete
it. Ask them to consider where and when they will study the content so they can be better prepared. Tell
them how much time any activity you have set them will take to complete.
9. Make sure that whatever course-hosting platform you are using students can find what they need. The
syllabus, calendar of any deadlines, assignment information and instructions, links to helpful resources
and downloads must be accessible.
10. I'd recommend “chunking” down your classroom content. Break the lectures and content into material for
online delivery. In other words, you make sure videos or audio files are between 5 – 7 minutes long.
Research by Philip Guo, assistant professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester found 6
minutes was the best video length for optimum student engagement. Here's a summary of his findings.
11. Also, consider adapting your course for the needs of people requiring accessibility options. Here's a quick
guide with tips on how to do this.
So I hope that these tips help you to get started to make the transformation of your classroom based fashion
courses to online fashion courses easier.
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Feedback Time
So now it's your turn. Please give feedback in the comments section below about the post. How useful was it?
What isn't clear still? What topics would you like covered in future posts?
We love your comments so please let us know.
Cheryl Gregory is the Founder of The Fashion Student Hub, a marketplace for selling online fashion courses,
and We Teach Fashion teaching fashion subject experts how to create and promote their own online courses,
generate revenue and serve the growing need for online education in the fashion sector.
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