I learned that the interaction in the course is very important to receive the students comments and interactions.
Feedback needs to be timely and consistent to be effective. Instructors need to be aware and maintain this throughout the course.
Communication and feedback are very important.
Allow students to have a dialogue in online forum discussions without replying to every single post. Don't keep inserting yourself into the conversation. Be a "guide on the side." :)
The three types of communication within an online classroom:
- Student-to-Content (S2C): Students will read, view, and listen to books, articles, videos, and recordings provided as part of the course content.
- Student-to-Instructor (S2I): Students will communicate directly with the instructor and receive feedback from the instructor.
- Student-to-Student (S2S): Students will engage in communication with their peers and even work on activities and assignments in groups.
The instructor should direct and provide guidance but not feel obligated to comment on everything--let the students form their own discussions based upon an instructor provided topic. Keep them on point if the subject strays. Allow the students a certain amount of ownership of their own education.
Communication is key, with students, admin, and peers!
When communicating with students, it is important to frame the text in a clear and concise manner, checking for content, grammar, punctuation, and no possible misconstrued communication.
Responses must be timely, alliowing for 24-48 hours from submission to reply, depending on business day.
When communicating with students, one must be sure to communicate expectations of the course and how the students are graded. Students need timely feedback in a positive and constructive manner.
It is very important to let online students know that you are paying attention to their progress through the course and that you care about how they are doing.
I found the idea of being a guide on the side intriguing. I did that in group projects when I taught courses who had them -- seldom stepping into post. I do respond to all students in a discussion, but I spread those replies out, so I'm not totally dominating the conversation. I discussed this advice (not to respond to everyone) with my supervisor and she was more approving of responding to everyone.
Instructors must work toward preventing student alienation. Due to the lack of F2F contact in an online course, students may become disengaged, which is why it is important to maintain a good level of S2I contact. It is vital that oneself mantain a sense of professionalism when recieving negative feedback from others in the workplace setting.
I learned that online student do desire the presence of the instructor. Online doesn't equate "on your own". Make students feel a part of the community by sending them personal messages as appropriate.
Students need more support in the online course. Feedback should be timely. Making your feedback personal can go a long way toward keeping your students engaged.
Students learning online need more feedback to stay active. Peer feedback may also be a good tool.
Online Instructors are Project Managers working in a platform that is Virtual. The same characterisitcs of a good project manager apply to an online instructor.
Compared to professors teaching F2F courses, instructors who teach online seem to be expected to be available more days and hours. Online instructors need to be aware of this time commitment.
Make sure students know that expections of communications with other students and with the instrutor. Write in proper grammer, don't use all caps, use proper puntucations, include all background information if needed, and include personal contact information if needed.
Give clear feedback and interact with your online students
Teaching presence, social presence, and instructor response time are important factors in student perceptions of learning.
Continuous feedback from students can also be useful.
