Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Blog

I think that my biggest challenge when it comes to communicating with students in an online forum comes when I encounter a student who is either too busy or simply is not intersted in communicating. This can get frustrating at times as I would like my students to achieve success in class each term along with having the knowledge and meeting the objectives that were laid out for the class. I still do not give up on these students. I try to communicate with all of the methods that we have stated before. I also communicate with their advisors in… >>>

Blog Comment

Live Office Hours

Beth,

I have a very similar situation. Very rarely will a student contact me during my office hours. I also encourage them to communicate with me as much as possible. I respond to emails everyday but I tell them to contact me whenever they need to. My only request is to keep in mind the time zone differences if they decide to call me. I had a student call me at 5 in the morning once. I find that the majority of my students will use email or instant message. Some will text me back and a few have called.… >>>

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Blog Comment

What worked for me

Sarah,

I also use a multitude of methods to communicate with my online students. I email them and post announcements on a weekly basis. I also utilized email, instant message and text as well as the chat room. It can be difficult getting in contact with students but we try. I do feel that some students may feel intimidated when it comes to asking questions or asking for help. I try to be encouraging when I communicating with them. I want them to know that I am here to help and that they do not have to wait for office… >>>

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Discussion Comment

Tone of voice and immediacy still hold sway

I have to agree with you. Tone of voice has a lot to do with the message at hand. As online instructors we do not get that face to face time with our students but there are some things that we can do to help with the communication at hand. In chats, I always allow my students to both see and hear me. I do this on purpose because I feel that a lot of miscommunication happens when you lose the body language. Tone of voice can help set the correct message as well. Chats are great tools because this… >>>

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Discussion Comment

Are Five week classes long enough for students to get the basics?

I have to agree. My online classes lasted 5 weeks while the live classes lasted 10 weeks with more lecture. Online classes seem to be fast paced in comparison but it is ideally meant for students who may not have the time or availability to get to a live class. The online forum provides them with the opportunity to still go to school along with the other responsibilities in their lives. That being said, not every class should be taught online. We need to evaluate what subject matter would be a good fit for the online environment and also evaluate… >>>

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Discussion Comment

studying

Getting our students to study can be quite a task. In an online environment this task can be greatly enhanced because we do not have the face to face interaction as we do in the live classroom. I try to encourage my student learning in the live chat and in the discussion board. Getting them to understand how this information will be of value to them in their future will increase their chances of studying. I do not believe that students excel by memorizing facts. I believe that they will excel by understanding concepts and knowing how to integrate this… >>>

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Blog Comment

Been there done that, just have empathy!

Jill,

I agree with your post. Empathy is so important when dealing with students in an online learning environment. I have had the experience of teaching in a live class as well as online. Even though the subject matter was the same, the environment had differences. An important factor in contrituting to the success of an online student is keeping the lines of communication going and letting them know what methods are communication are available. We should also do what we can to encourage those lines of communication. Many students can feel intimidated when it comes to asking for help… >>>

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Bookmark

ION Illinois Online Network

This is a site that provides information for developing an effective online instructional environment in which student success can be hightened. If you look at the various links the site will provide you with some instructional strategies such as the following:

Learning Contracts	Small Group Work
Discussion	Project
Lecture	Collaborative Learning
Self-Directed Learning	Case Study
Mentorship	Forum

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Bookmark

Gamification

This website is by technology advice. It has a lot of interesting information about gamification and how it has been used in the past along with the future path they anticipate it taking.

Afrodite Tsiakopoulos

Blog

Adaptive learning in different classroom settings

The world of education is consistently adapting and changing. The traditional look and feel of the classroom continues to evolve. We now have live classrooms as well as online classrooms. We have students that have differnt learning styles and ability levels. It continues to become challenging for the instructors of today to find new ways to motivate students to learn and achieve success with these varying learning styles and abilities. Adaptive learning assists us in creating these modern environments for our student learners to be able to excel. This is something that I believe will continue to evolve.