Using discussion boards, personalized welcome messages and synchronous communication with individual students can be the most effective way of communicating and retention.
I learned how to manage online discussions and give helpful feedback to keep students engaged. I'll use this by encouraging everyone to join in and giving clear, supportive feedback to help them succeed.
In general online courses open doors for asynchronous discussions which allow many students to participation at the same time. Instructors post questions and students answer and also comment on what other students post. It allows for participants to engage multiple conversations at a time. However, much personal factors are missing in online discussions such as nonverbal ques, facial expressions and gestures. One must be careful to review netiquett prior to engaging in online discussions to maintain mutual respect of and for fellow students. Synchronous discussions are for very small groups and more so for 1 to 1 conversations. Synchronous discussions instructors may need to prompt the more shy students to participate whereas online asynchronous discussions better promote the shy and more reserved students to participate and have a stronger say because it is a typed response, not a verbal response.
I learned that synchronous discussion are not recommended for larger groups of students.
increase inclusiveness in all areas of academics and learning.
I need to prepare the students well in advance for the sessions (Synchronous or Asynchronous). Personalize the response by using each student's preferred way, identify the time of each session( max 30 min), try to keep the groups of Five or Six, so it is manageable.
It is not ideal to do synchronous method
It is important to engage students in the discussion posts to keep them active and interesting. The posed questions for the discussion post need to be clear, concise, and not overly wordy. It is important to make sure the students post mainly on replies to the individual student and not overly on threaded replies.
Try to avoid synchronous online discussions
I use humor a lot, but online learning is a flat dimension where the receiver cannot see facial expressions, hand gestures, etc. therefore misunderstanding may occur. Use humor but with caution.
It is important to remember that criticisms need to use the correct tone to ensure students don't experience damage in the learning process.
The concept of asynchronous and synchronous in an online course is important because you should give each student a chance to participate in the course, so they can have a good learning experience.
There are ways to engage students in synchronous and asynchronous activities. Assignments that require reflection and in-depth thought should be left for asynchronous discussions. The professor should monitor what students are posting and offer a summary at the end of the discussion post.
It is important to identify students' learning needs during the first week, so the course delivery can be adapted to suit the needs of various students, to produce the best outcomes.
What stood out to me in this section is the three different learning styles: avoidant, dependent, and competitive; which helps to understand the aspects of the students during the course
encouraging and engaging communication with students is important. I learned the difference between synchronous and asynchronous meeting and how it is beneficial to students
The complexities of managing a group of students in a synchronous discussion is daunting for sure, with the quick responses necessary and the moment to moment motivation and engagement you need to push. Managing the asynchronous discussion has more ability to think through your duties as an instructor.
Different learning styles create a need for focused engagement. Crafting discussion and feedback to each individual and their specific needs encourages participation.
It is important to show your teaching presence in the classroom by avidly participating in the asynchronous discussions and making sure that you understand the different types of students participation interactions in the classroom.
Feedback should reflect student motivation and confidence
