My face-to-face FIN 340 course is structured as a combination of lecture via PowerPoint and problem solving. I usually achieve the latter by going through a few examples on the board or spreadsheet, depending on the topic, followed by providing students with an opportunity to try some problems themselves, either in groups or individually. My course is quantitative in nature and this format has worked well for students to achieve the course’s learning outcomes. The lecture component of the course consists primarily of a discussion of theory, topic background and foundation. I provide students with slides on Canvas prior to class. The slides provide students with theoretical points and formulas but no examples. I use class time to elaborate on the slides through examples, providing connection to current and historical events through videos, article discussions, etc.
To avoid pitfall #1, Upload your course material, then call it a day, I have to ensure that the examples that I discuss in class (non-quantitative) are captured in the material I provide to the students; and that the material connects the theory with what I think is relevant from the examples. This would include incorporating video and article links into material, and would require some advance preparation although some of the ‘color’ added is real-time. To address real-time issues, I may consider discussion boards in my course. I also expect to provide students with the opportunity to provide feedback (our College is considering software for this) on their understanding of the online materials, and adjust, to the extent that I can, the areas of emphasis in the face-to-face meetings.
