What does an online instructor do?
An Online Instructor teaches remote post-secondary classes through the use of email, discussion pages, and video. They develop a curriculum based on the best knowledge in the field.
Online instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real online instructor resumes:
- Utilize blackboard management system to encourage online discussions and manage grades.
- Prepare and deliver instruction to students in topics such as literature, grammar, and writing.
- Develop course materials such as course calendar, syllabus, handouts, and additional resources for students.
- Develop rubric syllabus, and introduction materials.
- Serve as theory instructor for medical-surgical nursing and pharmacology for junior students and leadership and management nursing for senior students.
- Collaborate with faculty to provide input for student IEP's and PPT meetings.
- Plan lessons for and teach beginner-advance students in the IEP as a full-time instructor.
- Serve as theory instructor for medical-surgical nursing and pharmacology for junior students and leadership and management nursing for senior students.
Online instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Online Instructors are proficient in Skype, Math, and Zoom. They’re also known for soft skills such as Organizational skills, Patience, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Online Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Skype, 14%
Communicate with students through various methods such as Skype, WebEx, email, and phone.
- Math, 13%
Provide explicit guided and individualized instruction in reading and math, providing immediate motivation and feedback.
- Zoom, 12%
Conduct ninety- minute online learning sessions weekly using Zoom.
- Learning Objectives, 10%
Compile tests, assignments and/or online discussion exercises that permit measurement of performance relative to standardized learning objectives.
- K-12, 7%
Designed and developed graduate-level online courses in the areas of Differentiated Instruction and Multicultural Education for K-12 educators
- Mathematics, 6%
Provided instruction focusing on reading and mathematics.
Most online instructors use their skills in "skype," "math," and "zoom" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential online instructor responsibilities here:
Organizational skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an online instructor to have is organizational skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "career and technical education teachers must coordinate their time and teaching materials." Online instructors often use organizational skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "inform college students about human relations, organizational behavior. "
Patience. Another essential skill to perform online instructor duties is patience. Online instructors responsibilities require that "working with students of different abilities and backgrounds can be difficult." Online instructors also use patience in their role according to a real resume snippet: "embodied and honored the instructor s code of ethics of professionalism, patience, rapport, respect, and admission. "
Communication skills. online instructors are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to online instructor responsibilities, because "career and technical education teachers must explain concepts in terms that students can understand." An online instructor resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "maintained an online asynchronous communication with students to assist them with achieving their course objectives. "
The three companies that hire the most online instructors are:
- Louisiana State Police
21 online instructors jobs
- Daymar College
7 online instructors jobs
- ThinkCERCA2 online instructors jobs
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Compare different online instructors
Online instructor vs. Certified substitute teacher
Substitute teachers are responsible for filling in the role of regular teachers who will not be able to come to school. They may be engaged short-term or long-term, depending on the need. Substitute teachers should have a deep understanding of the topics that are related to the subject matter and are appropriate to the learning level of the student. They should be able to advance the lessons while the regular teacher is unavailable. At times, they are required to create their own lesson plans. Substitute teachers should have the skills of regular teachers. They should also be flexible and adaptable.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between online instructors and certified substitute teacher. For instance, online instructor responsibilities require skills such as "skype," "math," "zoom," and "learning objectives." Whereas a certified substitute teacher is skilled in "classroom management," "classroom environment," "substitute teaching," and "public schools." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Certified substitute teachers tend to reach lower levels of education than online instructors. In fact, certified substitute teachers are 23.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 7.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Online instructor vs. Substitute teacher
A presenter is an individual who is responsible for providing information or media to the general public through a live or pre-recorded broadcast. Presenters should research the topics and background information for items that are to be featured on the program and at the same time, rehearse lines that are going to be presented. They may require to be knowledgeable in operating some of the technical equipment for recording and playback. To improve a broadcast, presenters should also meet with the production crew to discuss and get feedback.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that online instructor responsibilities requires skills like "skype," "zoom," "learning objectives," and "k-12." But a substitute teacher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "kids," "help support," "language arts," and "esl."
Substitute teachers may earn a lower salary than online instructors, but substitute teachers earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $32,682. On the other hand, online instructors receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $50,064.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Substitute teachers tend to reach lower levels of education than online instructors. In fact, they're 24.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 7.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for online instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Helen Callus
Professor of Viola, Northwestern University
I imagine this might become part of the framework that we offer in the future. Students should understand how to present themselves in these situations, understanding sound and picture quality devices (what microphones and cameras are best), internet speeds, ethernet cables, router devices, lighting, etc. But it is an excellent opportunity to understand the media of film/video and how to create best a sound video recording for competitions, summer festivals, or college applications. We were already using that medium for prescreens, so this is a chance to refine that skill as, without doubt, that will be a part of our future.
Online instructor vs. Presenter
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, online instructors are more likely to have skills like "skype," "math," "zoom," and "learning objectives." But a presenter is more likely to have skills like "public speaking," "symposium," "presentation," and "colleges."
Presenters typically earn lower educational levels compared to online instructors. Specifically, they're 17.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Online instructor vs. Academic mentor
Types of online instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
