I've learned more about making a personal connection with each student. To let them know I am here for them, and this matters a great deal to me.
I find that if you can get on a personal basis with your students and share common interests, share happy and fun topics that this puts the student at ease. This will help build your relationship with the student and they will ask questions that otherwise would have gone unasked.
I feel that if the learner understands that I am there for them and all I want to do is support them in their learning, then there wont be any problems.
Taking the time to become acquainted with the students gives you a level of understanding and knowledge about how to interact with them individually and as a class. Being able to project your authority in the classroom is imperative to instructor, student relationship. The student has a chance to learn a bit of who you are from sharing your experiences as well as your knowledge of the industry and life!
It's crucial to connect with students. I send a welcome email to all before the course starts with a link to an orientation video. Additionally, I post an Announcement with an introduction and any essential information students need to know when starting the course. I teach an online Ethics class, so I implement much of my own experiences from the workplace to make the course relatable.
I believe that an instructor needs to establish a relationship based on Personal, Relational, and Contextual domains. Instructors Should
1. Personal Domain - reach out to students to open lines of communication and trust.
2. Relational - express that the instructor understands the challenges of going to college and offers assistance where needed.
3. Contextual - Within the context of the class, clearly establish the requirements driving success in the class.
It is important to share my credentials and experience with the students to gain their trust.
This course shows the importance of building confidence and trust with your online students.
It is wonderful to let students know about some things related to your career where you have made a difference in the lives of others. This can go a long way to humanize you to your students.
I learned that it is important to project your qualifications as an instructor by highlighting your academic degree, accomplishments and hobbies.
Having taken multiple online courses myself I can understand some of the unique needs of online students. Many of them may feel they need support but are unsure how to get it, as an instructor it is a goal of mine to remain visible for my students and to check in and post often especially when big assignments are due so that my students feel supported.
Firstly, you have introduced by yourself as you qualify, capable enough to teach them and discuss about academic , your experience and achievement and also assure them you are there for there for any support . create a comfortable environment, ALSO TRY TO LEARN EVERY SUTENDT PERSONALLY WITH THER BACK GROUD ,THEIR GOAL.
I learned to solicit biographies and basic information (their major, how they prefer to be addressed, best way to contact them, their schedule) and to share my credentials, accomplishments, and experience.
Comment on Cindy Stevens's post: I agree, but my teaching load has increased, so I'd be sending about 80-100 personal emails. I used Panopto to let each student post a short biography, and posted one of my own. I also found surveys helpful for learning my students' schedules and preferences. One of the reasons online instruction is so common is that it's inexpensive. Pay for online instructors continues to decline, and course size is always increasing. It's also more time consuming for instructors. Instead of saying something to an entire class, you have to answer 37 emails about requirements, deadlines, and other administrivia.
The importance of projecting your authority and presence will encourage a good teacher/student relationship and mutual respect.
For an online course, it is important to connect with the students. Responding and engaging in discussions through discussion boards or video is great. Getting to know your students by having them do a getting to know each exercise helps to relieve some of the disconnectedness that can occur in online courses.
As an online instructor I feel that I must know how to influence, persuade, inspire, and energize their students just as would be done in a traditional classroom setting.
- It is very important to have good communication with students.
Day one I always talk about myself to the class about my teaching past and personal information to try to connect with my students.
In order to learn about e-learners, students should post a short biography of themselves to be shared with everyone.
