I believe If you're in person and in class learning room is on point then the online content and learning should be easy, I feel that when you earn your students respect, they will follow your lead online and participate 100%
Facilitating student engagement is important. Engaging students in the beginning is helpful. Providing concise direction and support will help students.
I learned about the importance of keeping student engaged through open discussions and engaging questions that are planned in a way that facilitates learning. I plan on using a survey of my presentations to help me relect on the students perspective.
Maintaining student engagement during online lectures can be challenging; however, when students are consistently engaged, it greatly improves the overall flow and effectiveness of the class, leading to a more productive and interactive learning experience for everyone involved. Consistent engagement fosters participation and helps keep students focused and motivated.
Comment on Raisah Thomas's post:
I completely agree! Centering the course around the learner shifts the focus from simply delivering content to actually fostering meaningful learning experiences. One strategy I’ve found useful is incorporating short reflection checkpoints throughout the course, where students share what’s working for them and what isn’t. This feedback helps me adjust the course in real time and also informs how I revise the course for future terms.
How do you typically gather and use student feedback to shape your facilitation or course design? I’d love to hear about any tools or techniques that have worked well for you.
Comment on Sondra Gentry's post:
You're right—setting clear expectations from the start is key to creating a productive and respectful online learning environment. I’ve found that embedding expectations not just in the syllabus, but also within weekly announcements, rubrics, and even discussion board prompts, helps reinforce them consistently. It’s also helpful to model the tone and quality of communication I expect by responding to students in a way that’s clear, encouraging, and professional.
Have you ever used a communication rubric or contract at the start of the course to help set the tone? I’m considering implementing one to support students who are new to online learning and could use extra structure.
This module reinforced the idea that teaching online is more than delivering content—it's about creating an intentional, student-centered environment where engagement and communication are at the core. I especially appreciated the breakdown of the four roles an online instructor must play: instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistant. It helped me reflect on where I feel strong and where I need to grow.
One of my biggest takeaways is the importance of timely, personalized, and constructive feedback. I plan to make my feedback more consistent, not just on grades but in discussion boards and peer interactions, to keep students connected and supported. I also intend to refine my syllabus to clearly set expectations for communication and engagement upfront, to prevent confusion and reduce repetitive emails.
Moving forward, I want to experiment with blending synchronous and asynchronous approaches more intentionally. I’ll use synchronous sessions for community-building and support, and asynchronous modules for deeper, self-paced learning. I’m excited to try more problem-based, authentic learning opportunities and look at evaluations as a tool for continuous improvement—not just a formality.
What’s one facilitation strategy that’s worked well for you in online teaching that you think more instructors should try?
I like the contrasts covered between the Sage on the Stage vs. the Guide on the Side.
It is very important to evaluate and motivate students and to keep them active.
review of types of teaching.
our students deserves our guidance across the course, even if they are doing something asynchrony
For the best learning outcomes we need to have students engagement in the class by having some lecture with students discussions, short questions for understanding of topics, group works with presentations.
A guide facilitates learning by individuating and making relevant the subject matter for all learners. Online offers additional opportunities for both synchronous and asynchronous learning and a variety of electronic tools.
Keeping students engaged during an online lecture proves to be very difficult but keeping them engaged consistently helps the class flow better.
My style is more "sage on the stage," because we have extremely limited technology available in the prison school where I teach. My Master's program was all online and asynchronous, so I certainly have experienced that and enjoyed it. I know that communication was very important and would say that most of my instructors were prompt with their responses. This was especially important where there were strict deadlines.
Evaluations are very important to assist the factulty to make needed improvements for student success
It is very important to make sure all information delivered online is understandable and retainable by each student in attendance
the instructor facilitator should evaluated teaching methods to insure what is taught is being learned
As a facilitator of an online course, my role is to guide students to be responsible for their own learning experience.
teaching online requires timely, clear and effective communication with the learners.
