Online Instructor
As an online instructor I make it my duty to contact each student before the class starts in order to introduce myself and to see if they have any questions, concerns or issues. I also watch participation and scores and if I see someone is lost or lack of attendance/participation. I then decide to contact them for one on one counseling. It is easy to lose a student due to being online so you have to take that extra steps to pull them back and get the actively engaging.
Terri,
These are great ways for you as the instructor to stay connected with your students and try to head off "losing" a student during the semester. Do you also allow the students to introduce themselves to one another in an introduction forum or similar way to build a sense of community among your students?
Herbert Brown III
I set up a an additional thread "coffee shop introduction" which gives the student the opportunity to introduce themselves to their classmate and discuss their educational goals.
It is very important to closely monitor each student's progress in an online course. However, before the course gets started, it is essential to welcome students with a welcome statement and for a faculty member to give his or her biography so that students begin to connect with a faculty member as more than being a vague entity, but a real person who has an interest in teaching.
Something that I say in my introduction to students is that it is a privilege to be their teacher and that I am available to help them each step of the way through the learning process. I also clarify policies about being sick, absent and late submissions of assignments.
Monitoring discussions and participation for either total lack of it or weak discussions that do not seem to be engaging the course content and objectives does require individual counseling. For example, I do not assume a student is proficient with how to have an online discussion, so I create a course announcement that gives specific suggestions how to have meaningful discussions and another announcement how online discussions are graded.
Another reason it is easy to lose students is because they may not feel a connection to an online class. As a result, it is especially important during the first week of the course to monitor student engagement and to immediately reach out to students who are not meeting the course's expectations about participation.
Finally, if a student is falling behind, it is essential that a faculty member be supportive and not combative with a student because there are valid reasons a student may be behind in a course.
Patricia,
Do you require this introduction of your students? Do you also include a post about yourself in the coffee shop? Students love to know more about their instructors. If it is not required, do you find that many students complete this assignment? I have always used introductory forums to give students and myself a place we can share about ourselves. This creates typically creates a more open communication environment.
Herbert Brown III
Thomas,
I feel it is important for the online student to know something about me and for me to make them feel comfortable communicating with me. In addition I encourage each of them to IM or e-mail me. I also let them know that they do not have to wait until my office hours but that I am available to them anytime I am on the computer and not teaching they can contact me and I will answer. communication is a key component in the online learning environment.
Mamie,
I would like to suggest that communications is THE key component in an effective online learning environment. Without effective communication, it is difficult for learning to occur.
Herbert Brown III
