I liked that the advice given in this module reflects best practices in F2F teaching and learning, but applicable to a distance learning forum.
Just as in the classroom, it is important to KNOW your students and being active in their learning. Building a relationship with trust is important, and being involved in student classroom activities help students to engage.
In a college online course, the professor asked for a short biography and gave one as well. This gave students the ability to associate with others that had similar backgrounds and/or majors. Although I expect most high school students to at least know the names of the other students, many do not and having bios at the beginning may allow more of a community.
I have learned I can be present without being present.
I liked how to personalize with the students by exchanging your history and credentials.
Creating that on-line relationship is just as important as creating that relationship in a regular class setting. Sharing a bio of yourself as the instructior helps the learner feel their is someone on the other side that can not be seen, but is qualifed to assist and has a human feeling to the class, if that makes sense. By having students share their bio with the instructior helps build a relationship with students you can not see.
In this module I learned the importance of instructor and student relations.
Tell they my credentials and share my experences. Have students do a bio so everyone can feel like they have a connection with other students.
Helpful tidbits on how an Instructor can project their presence in an online environment!
I think creating a bio is a good idea but having the students create a bio of themselves is a fabulous idea for an online environment. I see how this can allow for all of us to make a connection. I also think having a facility for asynchronous discussion unrelated to the course is a brilliant idea. I would definitely use these ideas for my online courses.
I thought it was clever to begin building an e-learning community by asking students to post a short biography of themselves.
I think this was more geared to a full time online atmosphere.
Be present. Post your bio. Students also post their bio. Give them feedback in appropriate time.
I learned the importance of posting a biography of myself, sending a welcome letter by the end of day one, and sending a personal message to each student by the end of the first week.
The importance of a broad introduction with biographical information for both yourself as the instructor as well as your students. Make sure to have a separate area for "general questions" in addition to the "course based" question area.
Students must feel welcome in order to learn. It is your job as a online facilitatior to make sure that level of trust and relationship is well known throughout your course. Share a personal biography, ask students to do the same, and to comment on at least 2 people's biography from the class. Send check in emails to make sure student know you are there for them and willing to help when needed. Make sure all expectations are known at the beginning of the class. You could maybe post a class syllabus for refrence.
Providing students information about who you are and what you expect is key to ensuring you start off on the right foot. Having students do the same with a bio information session is a good idea.
To gain trust and confidence from your students, you should introduce yourself along with your achievements, both academic and professional on Day One. Continue by taking time throughout the first week to get to know them and reach out on a personal level.
I reach out to my students weekly, whether it be a phone, Zoom or Skype call to check in with them and see if they have any issues or questions that need addressing.
Communicate to students "online office hours" otherwise commit to responding to emails in 24-hours.
An effective way to build student relationship is for students to create a biography, this gives teachers background on individual students.
