Tarakeshwar Pilarisetty

In addition to high level of student participation, it is important to ensure the quality of participation. Well-defined rubrics help instructors to assess and improve the quality of discussions. Employing instructional strategies which allow one to effectively communicate and collaborate helps develop a meaningful community where students feel safe to share their opinions and viewpoints.

To help students become successful online learners, instructors should be aware of generational differences. The instructor should provide clear, simple, and concise instructions to meet the outcomes/objectives/goals of the course. Students also need to possess several vital skills to be successful in an online learning environment.

Important to have consistent communication guidelines and effectively manage the entire communication process to ensure that instructor-to-student (I2S), student-to-instructor (S2I), and student-to-student (S2S) communication can thrive.

An effective communication process ensures the emergence of an engaged, organized, and respectful, learning community.

there are several tools to effectively communicate with students in an online environment. It is However, it is important to assess and reflect on a tool’s effectiveness to ensure proper usage and productive communication.

Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are the key to success of adult-learners. Extrinsic motivators are useful in enhancing intrinsic motivation. 

Security and Autonomy are important ingredients for motivation of adult-learners. Reinforcing them is the key to them being successful.

Unlike a typical F2F course, an online course should be well-organized, easy to navigate, and the students should be readily able to understand and clearly identify the essentials of the course. It is important for the facilitator to guide students through the content and therefore care should be taken to identify the best delivery method for presenting the online content. Finally, any new teaching innovation must be evaluated for its effectiveness in delivering academic outcomes and benefit.

The focus of any online course should be on the learner and not the technology. As providers of the online learning experience, the emphasis should (ii) involve effective communication, (ii) encourage a learner-centered environment, (iii) organize a problem-based learning, and (iv) provide a meaningful and informative feedback.

Irrespective of the method (synchronous or asynchronous) employed for teaching the course, organization and adequate guidelines are key requisites. For an effective learning experience of the students, consistency in course design, activities, and teaching style are essential.

Instructors must judiciously employ different technology tools based on the learning outcomes of the course. This can be done by understanding both the functions and limitations of different technology tools.