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In my years of educational instruction I believe I have had all of these learning types, some at the same time. I believe one way of earning their valuable input and trust is to set the parameters on day one- start tough and work backwards to a happy medium. The nice to tough just doesn't work out. I also think in this module that weekly progress emails will be something I incorporate with my online engagement. Also, sorting folders for replies by type or student will help navigate each issue.
Currently with COVID, we use ZOOM for live lectures and record then distribute to each student. THis allow reflection and further comprehension on each topic. I hadn't considered a weekly summary/update from students on the progress of the course as we do this verbally, but, considering not all can be in live lecture, this will be a positive way to keep tabs on students and myself as the educator. Non-verbal cues like emoticons haven't been implemented mainly due to course content is already exhaustive, however, it will allow some more reclusive learners to participate without verbal needs.
So, we have started doing a WELCOME letter for each term and incorporated a short bio for each instructor to give the students an opportunity to learn about our credentials, achievements (and some failures that we overcame) and our expectations as the instructor to each students. On day one, we do a verbal intro by each students so I know more about them and each student learns a bit about their peers, but, I like the idea of having them write/type it out because it might prompt them to dig a little deeper. We used this format years ago at… >>>
In my career as an educator I find it equally important to communicate personally as well as professionally. A student is more likely to give more detailed descriptions of their issues to a personably relatable instructor and from that gained information and trust, the instructor can develop the learning platform so the students feels at ease and will easily interact. Students learn at different paces and in various styles, all students should be briefed on this known fact from day one to provide the same level of educational information at each students' particular comprehension level.
As instructor, it is as important to make sure the student's equipment is up to date and will comply with needs of each program as delivering the course materials itself. A student will feel frustrated if they are unfamiliar with the computer soft/hard ware and fall behind before the course even begins.
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