Hearing the word ‘mullet’ may bring back nostalgic memories of celebrities, songs, and movies from the 80’s. But, according to fashion magazines like Glamour and Elle, the mullet could be making a comeback in 2020. You may not be ready to take the leap into getting a mullet, but there are some key principles of online learning that we can consider from this hairstyle. We could discuss methodology in online learning, but let’s have some fun and learn key principles of online learning while referencing the traditional mullet hairstyle.
As the learning community is swiftly transitioning from traditional classes to virtual formats, it is important to support each other in making this change. My hope is that this would provide you with some valuable tips on making the transition to online learning with your course. Some instructors have a wealth of experience in online learning, while others have never ventured into this new methodology. Hopefully you can use some of these tips to alleviate your anxiety of this uncharted territory or think about your online course in a new perspective.
- “Business in the front, party in the back.” If you’re familiar with the mullet hairstyle, you’ve probably heard this phrase describing it. The cut in the front requires a lot more maintenance and precision than the back of the hairstyle. The front is shaped and trimmed, requiring more time and skill than the longer hair in the back. The same holds true with teaching online courses. If you put in the work up front with organizing and designing the course, there will be less maintenance required on the back end of the course. It can feel overwhelming in the beginning trying to plan things out, but once it is up and running, it gets easier. I know these circumstances do not allow for as much time in planning; but as you are building things out, try to be as organized and detailed as possible.
I prefer organizing my content folders by the weeks in the semester. I like for my students to be able to click on the folder for that week and access all of the information they need to complete that week of my course. I love folders in the Learning Management System! I may love them a little too much. Try to think like the learner and organize the content in a way that will be helpful for navigating the course each week. I like to drop in reminders from the calendar on the outside of the folder reminding the students of the assignments due that week. Again, this requires a little more time on the front end, but can save you emails to clarify on the back end of the course. Considering the limited time for planning currently, you can hide the folders until they are ready to be released to the students a little in advance. However, in my experience, students prefer to see all of their assignments so they can plan ahead. Either way, just be sure to set clear expectations at the beginning of the course.
- “Mullet head.” Another phrase that can be used to describe this haircut and/or someone who is unintelligent is referring to them as a “mullet head.” You definitely should not think of your learners as unintelligent. However, when you are explaining things in online assignments, you should keep it as simple as possible. Even include the seemingly simple instructions. For example, if you post an article or link to a video for review, then add in simple instructions to read or watch it. Have key words or phrases for your learners such as “submit here,” “read this first,” and “watch this video.” Remember that you are getting an inside view of the course and your brain is designing the assignments. I have literally posted modules and a post-quiz for students to complete and they reported they did not realize they needed to watch the video before taking the quiz. This seemed to go without explanation to me. However, remember that your students have multiple courses or things in their lives that compete with learning. Add in simple instructions to direct them through the assignments fluidly. This is also a recommendation from Quality Matters, which provides guidance in designing online instruction. Quality Matters recommends adding a “Start Here” area in the learning management system for easy navigation. It can be helpful to have someone unrelated to your course or content area to review assignments for clarity. Some of the refinement of your course will come with time and experience. Remember to give yourself grace with the transition. We are all learning in this together!
- “Be unique.” Personalization can go a long way for your mullet and your course. A mullet can be long and wispy on top or buzzed with a short hair clipper guard. Some people may use gel for styling and others may even add in lines to the side to get a cool, unique look to the mullet. There is ‘no one-size-fits-all’ for online course design. Make the course your own by adding in your knowledge and expertise paired with your personal teaching style. Engagement and connection require a minor level of vulnerability from the instructor, but usually adds a great dynamic to the course.
I love to interact with students and hear their perspective. I prefer using a teaching format that allows me to interact with them in real-time. I like using Poll Everywhere during online teaching presentations. You can ask the students to use their personal cell phones to text in answers to questions during an online class presentation. The poll question will update as students text in their responses. Depending on the question, you can choose how you want to see student feedback, such as open-ended or multiple-choice. One of my favorites is the word cloud builder that is available. These poll results can be collected all at once or over a period of time.
There are lots of other resources out there that allow for connection and assessment. If you can have time face-to-face via a virtual format, students usually prefer being able to see the person behind the content. Also, during this time of uncertainty and social distancing, it can be important to add elements of engagement with learners. I’ve seen some really awesome ideas in social media groups, such as virtual spirit week, bring your pet to school day, and resource guides with sites for virtual tours to ‘get out of the house’ during quarantine. Just because our education methodology is changing, does not mean that our love of teaching or passion for the content has to waiver!
- “Don’t be afraid to try something new.” If you’ve never had a mullet, it may take a lot of courage to jump into this new style. Likewise, this may be a new style of teaching for you, but that does not mean that you have to be afraid. This semester I was able to partner with Packback to add in a new style of student discussion into my course. It was a little unsettling in the beginning to think about adding in a new piece of technology. However, even in the first week of the course, I was unbelievably thankful for this new addition to my course. It allowed me to see my students’ critical thinking in a new capacity. Don’t be afraid to add in new technology. There will be a learning curve and some time required to make the adjustment. However, most of these online resources are very robust. They have such incredible support teams that the transition burden on the instructor is minimal. If your content allows, you can add in current events to bring the content alive and make it engaging for the students. The students are already seeing these things in the media and posting about them on social media. Use their interests to leverage your teaching goals. Trying new learning tools can be helpful for meeting the many learning styles of your students. Will there be glitches in technology or things you have to work out? Absolutely! But, there are most likely experts that can help. Technology never defines your ability to teach or your expertise in the content. Be bold and embrace the change!
A lot of things have changed in a small amount of time for educators. Our learners need us more now than ever to help them navigate through learning in unprecedented times. Hopefully this gave you fun memories, a little laughter, and great tips for making the transition to online learning with your course!