I personally send each student an email prior to the start of their course with me to introduce myself and set the groud work. I end with telling them I look forward to having them fo the next xxxamount of weeks and for them to successfully complete the course.

In the classes that I have been teaching lately, I have had about 20 to 25 students. And usually in every class about 5 to 8 don't participate or start to but then I don't get anything else from them. What would be you suggestions on how to get them more involved? Usually at the end of the first week of class I send a little note to them if I see that they have not participated yet, but it doesn't seem to work for everyone. Should I continue to sending notes each week to a student that has not been participating?

When a student first enters a class they are very eager to learn but sometimes as the course progresses some students seem to become distracted. Sometimes this is due personal problems that interfer with class room paticipation. As the instructor how do we encourage and motivate the student to get them back on track?

In my communication course there are numerous opportunities to make practical allpications to current events. For example, almost everyone has an opinion about the presidential election (either a favorite candidate or the process itself)... Students suddenly realize that the theoretical constructs have become concrete, and that their discussions and arguments are more cogent than before they took the course. It's a great opportunity for "aha!" moments...

For me to support my students in every aspect of the class is extremly important now only from a teachers propective but also a students. They need to know that they have different avenues to go to

I think it's important to stress right from the start of the very first week that as instructors we are here for the students and want to support them. They should email, call, chat, whatever us whenever they are struggling. This is why we teach. If they don't learn, we aren't doing our jobs. I think it's important to students to understand that they aren't "bothering" us when they contact us. Weekly reminders of this might really serve students well.

I think, when responding to discussion forums, it is important to probe students further by responding to their posts with more questions to get them thinking even more. Perhaps they'll respond to the questions in writing. Perhaps they won't. But, when applicable, responding with questions, in addition to recognizing and acknowledging their thoughts, will get them thinking further and working harder.

I just want to stress the need I find as an online instructor to work maybe harder than a "real-live" instructor to get to know my students. We don't have the ability to shake anyone's hand or smile at them. We can't use body language or non-verbal cues to reassure our students. We also don't have them captive in a room that shares energy and enthusiasm. They are free to come and go as they please with very surface-level interaction from us and it is for that reason that we have check in more often and really work hard to connect through the medium of the internet. We should keep in mind that different students will respond to different types of feedback differently --some will love to call us, some will love chats, some discussions. We must work harder to recognize and satisfy the needs of our students.

I just want to stress that no matter what topic we as teachers are teaching, we must present our thoughts in writing correctly. We are, after all, role models for the students and they are learning from everything we say or do. What I mean is that I think it's important to write formally when writing online. We need to develop complete sentences and paragraphs (and ideas!) with proper punctuation and syntax. Shortcuts and internet lingo, to me, are indications of unprofessionalism and our students will become models of our behavior. It is not only the English instructors who must write properly, it is all teachers!

In a chat session, two students being to argue with one another and their discussion becomes heated. As the instructor, I'm successful in gaining control over the chat and get it back on track. However, after the chat, I would be of the opinion that both students should be contacted to remind them of the importance of "Netiquette". I'd like to hear other's opinions on how to follow up on a situation like this.

Has anyone used an initial synchronous discussion to set the tone for the upcoming class, answer general questions, and get to know the students a bit?

I don't understand how Bergquist & Phillips compare their learning styles which seem more like personality traits to Visual, Auditory and Kinestetics.

I have found that students truly appreciate and recognize when a professor provides a timely feedback. I try to always respond to my students within 24 hours and on site I mark tests the same day and they really appreciate that. It reduces the level of anxiety of the students.

Try this, see if it works for you. Any suggestions for improvement would be appreciated. Greetings~ Welcome to School X's General Psychology class. As your instructor it is my job and more importantly my personal goal to make sure you have an awesome term! If this is your first experience with online learning...then WELCOME to the wonderful world of virtual education. This is such an awesome tool for those of us with hectic lives and many demands from home and work. The most important aspect (in my humble opinion) is COMMUNICATION!!! I encourage each of you to begin an open dialogue with me so that you feel comfortable interacting with me. In the first week I will be making phone calls just to touch base to assure you are comfortable navigating your way around the classroom. If you want to make sure I can reach you, please forward me a number you prefer to be contacted. Otherwise I will use the numbers you have provided to the school. I am really excited about this class for many reasons. First, psychology is class that can really make you think about your world and can provide ways to respond to various situations. And secondly, School X is a very prestigious institution with quality programs and classes. This course is most likely a general education requirement for you and as such the focus is on general aspects of life. The activities are actually "fun" and previous feedback from students has been very positive. Please respond just to say hi or if you have a question for me and to give me your preferred phone number for contacting you. Kathryn

Shy students are willing to discuss topics if the instructor can find an innovative way to get them involved. What are some techniques you have used to engage shy students? Kathryn

One suggestion I have for holding office hours is to register for an AOL IM name. It is free and students can access you anytime they choose. I find this very helpful, especially if you teach for multiple colleges. You can have one "office" for all your students. Kathryn

Many platforms have e-mails set up within the course (WebCT) while others (E-College) have e-mails sent to a personal e-mail address established by the college. At CFC our e-mails from students will be delivered to our personal account. Will you set up a new personal account for your online classroom to keep it separate from your personal e-mails? Why or why not? What are the advantages to each method? Kathryn Sellers

The most important thing when going to my days as an online learner is recieving feedback. When students submit assignments they afraid to go on to the next one until receiving feedback from the one prior. They need the recognition to let them know that they are on the right track. I hope we are all staying on top of this and providing fast responses to our students.

Typically discussion prompts are provided within the online delivery. These prompts and responses create the online classroom. However, the instructor must play an active role to drive, move, and provide tools to probe deeper into ideas and thoughts in the student responses. If an instructor is absent, the classroom will become as unruly as a traditional on ground one. Students will be off topic and informal if not facilitated properly. Thus, the instructor must take the responsibility of facilitator as a serious job!

I have found that the best way to create a presence in a virtual classroom is the Live Chat. In my first online experience I had office hours, however, the interaction was one email at a time. In a recent experience, I had specific times and a room and the results were fantastic. We spoke about assignments, the syllabus, and other issues... weekly. I believed it helped retention and completing timely assignments, so I recommend this practice!