An instructor's role is to facilitate communication among students in discussion boards.  This can be done by encouraging discussion as well as provided clear guidelines such as rubrics to students.

Understanding student backgrounds can be just as important as setting communication guidelines.  Students will have different levels of experience with technology.  They will also have different expectations when it comes to communication and what is professional.

Policies in communication are important and should be laid out in advanced to avoid confusion.

Choosing the correct technology is important when communicating with students.  Each type has its pros and cons.  These need to be weighed for each situation to ensure that we communicate effectively.

Student feedback is just one form of feedback to help improve a course.  You should also look at quantitative data as well as qualitative data from multiple sources 

Rubrics can be powerful tools to help both instructors and students know the expectation of the assignment.  They can also help students self-evaluate and peer-evaluate their assignments.  Rubrics can be used as a feedback tool as well.

Online classes should have multiple ways for students to communicate and engage with each other.  Discussion boards but also video calls, email, and chat can help students and faculty create an online community.  We do this by having video calls, offering Teams office hours, and encouraging students to email with questions.

Having modules helps students organize their weeks.  We use this chemistry to help scaffold the topics so that each week builds on each other.

Online learning can be successful if students and instructors are working together.  Students need to communicate their needs or questions and instructors needs to respond in a timely manner.  Students need to understand their roadblocks, such as time management or schedule while instructors need to respect the time students have available. 

Assessing technical skills is just as important as assessing other skills.  Students should have access to how-to documents and guides to ensure their success with technology.