Without proper communication we can loose students in online environments because they do not feel as though their needs are being met. Some students feel that if an instructor does not respond to their discussions, in many cases that the instructor does not care about their learning. Being an interactive presence for the students in an online environment encourages more participation and a feeling that the students and the instructor are working towards the same goal. To increase the knowledge base of the student.

In my experience I have seen an LMS get implemented without any form of testing, this caused a huge customer service issue for the individuals taking the course and the instructors that had to lead this course as well. All systems need to be tested and continuously reviewed. Links do not always stay available if that are not archived accurately and in these reviews these issues can be rectified. It is better to take the time to test and update our material before it is implemented then after or you will spend more working time dealing with the problems that will arise from the issues.

I am not a fan of changing material or content to often. A well planned and organized lesson plan should have gone through a thorough checklist before students are introduced to it. However, I do believe if after a few groups have gone through a course and the instructor finds students are having trouble in the same areas, change is needed.

I am finding that I should be more present in the course forums. I think by gently guiding the students they may start to participate more thoughtfully and pay more attention to guidelines.

It is beneficial for students to learn at their own pace but Instructors must stay active to be sure students are staying on track. Some students will struggle and never inform their teacher. It is up to us to look for signs that tell us students are not fully engaged.

Everyday I run into problems with students who struggle with all of the technology used in resident and online education. Instructors not only teach course material but must instruct on how to use the tools. This can be difficult and take a lot of time. More institutions must start providing tools to help students outside of class time.

Keeping good record keep is a must in the online environment. It will help you when you have to deal with a complaint from the student that you have not been responding to their emails. If you have copies of you responses to their email will help prove your case if it comes up.

Providing feedback in a timely manner is very important to the learner. When giving feedback on a written assignment I use the sandwich technique. Give praise at the beginning and end of your feedback.

Establishing a relationship with your online learners are important. I post a welcome announcement on the blackboard for my students when they log in for the first time. On the first day of the class I email them a rise to the top email giving them tips on how to successfully complete the class and how to contact me.

When the course structure is easy to navigate thru it helps the online learner. The school I work for have a road map set in place for the student to help the student stay focused and help them be more interactive in the course.

The biggest issue I have seen in the past with this learning platform, is at times the communications between students and instructor is lacking. Also the communications between students may not be as clear as in the traditional ground class.

The biggest issue with an on-line format is noticing when students have issues participating in the group format (discussion boards or chat rooms). Once that is observed, then it can be addressed in order to promote a positive experience to all of the students in the class.

With an on-line class you need to express yourself in such a way that the students come across with a positive feeling that the instructor has the knowledge to teach the course. Giving personal references to incidents that have occurred in the past shows your interest and background.

It is imperative that the on-line usage work properly otherwise the on-line student easily gets frustrated. They get turned off on the course and the material presented.

Chat sessions appear to provide avenue for student and faculty interaction and to reduce e-mail traffic. However, most students do not bother attending the chat sessions. How could this medium be used for effective communication given the perceived short coming.

I create a technology tea room forum for students to ask any question or post material related to the course

Based upon the past 40 years of research on learning/cognitive styles, listed below are the major types/categories. With all of these learning styles, how can a teacher accommodate them given a typical, heterogenous online classroom...what's teacher to do? - Converger; diverger; assimilator; accommodator (Kolb’s LSI) - Concrete sequential; abstract random; abstract sequential; concrete random (Gregorc’s learning style topography) - Leveling/Sharpening cognitive styles (Klein) - Impulsive/Reflective cognitive styles (Kagan) - Visual/Haptic (Lowenfeld & Brittain) - Sensory/intuitive; visual/verbal; active/reflective; sequential/global (Felder & Silverman four-dimension model) - Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style Scales - Activists; reflectors; pragmatists; theorists (Honey & Mumford's learning styles) - Analytic/non-analytic; conceptualizing (Messick) - Canfield Learning Styles Inventory - Verbalizer-Visualizer learning styles - Field dependent/field independent (Witkin’s cognitive styles) - Visual, aural, kinesthetic (Dunn & Dunn) The complete inventory can be reviewed here: Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E., & Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning. Learning Skills and Research Centre, London. Retrieved from http://www.leerbeleving.nl/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/learning-styles.pdf

This class emphasized the import ant points to providing quality learning.

Hello All, I have found over the years that peer editing and assessments have been valuable tools in the learning process. Once students get over their initial reluctance, I have found that they are often more critical than I am with each others' work product. That being said, when they get their own work back, they often have a better feel for where they need to improve, not only because they got their corrected work back, but also because they know what errors to avoid. It has been both a challenge and a thrill to see the students go through the peer assessment process. Scott

In F2F classroom situations, interaction between the students is much easier than it is online. Getting students to fully participate in group projects or discussions can take a lot of prodding. What techniques or actions can be taken to promote interaction?