Teaching Abstract Algebra Online

Abstract

This research attempted to document the instructional plan that a professor would have to apply in teaching Abstract Algebra online using the descriptive case study design to come up with a framework on online abstract algebra teaching. The instructional preparations employed enabled the researcher to determine: the students' background knowledge of the content; the students' technical knowhow; and the resources available in the online environment. The Philippine Normal University - Learning Management System (PNU -LMS), Smart Notebook and Microsoft Power Point slides, and verbal discussions recorded on Techsmith Camtasia Studio, were used to create interactive asynchronous discussions. The students' outputs were used to provide immediate feedback regarding the developed materials and the discussions thereof. The following conclusions were derived: 1) Preparing for an online environment requires: planning the content; determining the nature of the students; determining the students' background knowledge of content and their technical know-how; and determining the quality of available resources; 2) The capacity of asynchronous discussions could be enhanced by giving opportunities for interaction between student and professor, student to student, and student to content; and 3) Assessing students' performance during and after the discussions, giving regular feedback, and eliciting students' feedback on the accessibility of the online class are some assessment techniques that an online instructor may use. Consequently, these conclusions served as basis for deriving a framework on online abstract algebra teaching. It was recommended that an experiment on the effectiveness of the online teaching format in Abstract Algebra using the aforesaid framework be done.