Alberto Rodriguez

Challenging students exist in both live and online classroom settings. It is important to recognize any potentially disruptive behavior as early as possible and to respond according to your institution's policies. 

Synchronous conversations can be intimidating to different learner types and can limit the overall success of the discussion. The tone of conversation is very important to motivating efffective participation. Setting expectations is important when having synchronous discussions as well as leaving time for small talk to create a more comfortable environment. 

Creating a team-work environment where I, as the instructor, am able to lead the team to success is very important in the learning process and can be achieved using the methods discussed in the last section. 

Trust can be built through transparency, respect, and the commitement to achieve a common goal. 

It makes sense that even though e-learners have chosen an online environment, they still want the support of an actual teacher. As a teacher for online instruction, I will be more effective if I can understand the perspective of my students by familiarizing myself with the same process of learning that they are experienceing. The more familiar I am with the deadlines, media, interaction features and content contained in the CMS, the more supportive I can be as the instructor.