Online Instruction
Hello all of you!
How do we further engage students that are obsessed with their phones and technology but fail to check their email and educational online profiles?
I also find this with my classes. Not just online but ground claases as well. I have better communication with my students via text then through email or the portal.
This is so true of our online demographic! Speak to the student the way they like to be receive communications. Ask the student how they like to receive communications - home email, text, phone call, etc. When you need to send a mass communication, do it in several different mediums - announcement on the portal, email, text, etc.
The students need to be incentivized to want to check e-mail. I submit all relevant class information in the online class room, and I also tell student that it is their responsibility to read the information and respond to e-mails. The incentive for doing so will result in a better grade.
I have this same scenario in my courses and have found that phone calls and texts are the best way to get through to my students. I still have the ones that just don't respond to any method no matter what you do. Those are the difficult cases.
Reply to Mary Mules's post:
I fully agree because I text, email and call. However some students do not respond no matter how you reach out to them. Now I know they will avoid calls or send me directly to email when they are avoiding me. But still I try to communicate every 2-3 days. I want my students to pass but I cannot help them if they don't respond. Further, unlike a traditional course they cannot resubmit assignments if it is way passed the deadline. I understand we are dealing with adults and things happen which is why I think they should be granted some kind of grace period or as instructors we can drop the lowest grade.
I'm probably a bit unconventional...but then again, that's the person that I am. I believe in excitement, color, audio, video in the courseroom. Each day, I send motivational images with quotes to my students. Some days, I may send a funny meme (of course, they are appropriate communication). I also use a lot of games in my weekly discussions. I have YouTube videos posted in my course. Some videos are inspirational. I use others for scavenger hunts. Some are for pure entertainment...of course, related to the material. And then there are days where I just might feel like a virtual potluck for the class to bring us together for a few moments without the pressure of schoolwork. At one point, I posted weekly awards; which they absolutely LOVED! It motivated them to no end to see their names posted for the various categories. After about 3 years, leadership asked me to stop doing it because they felt that some students may have felt left out. Anyhoooo...my students never know which way I'm going to flow from day to day, so many of them are intrigued and keep logging into the course; and/or checking their emails. I send all of my emails with images/video/audio to their personal emails; which populate on their cell phones. I have had mostly great success with my unconventional methods. The thing is...the students don't realize that I'm doing it as much for me as I'm doing it for them. I'd be bored if I didn't keep myself entertained as well. Giggles. I hope that helps a bit.
Hello Everyone, I hope you all are doing well..
For those students that are obsessed with texting and technology, I engage those students with encouraging them to send me text messages which is a great way to get a response almost instantaneously from me. However, I also like to use a lot of clipart and pictures that I will crop and combine with a lot of wordart. I do find that a combination of pictures, color, and even powerpoints help students who seem to be not be engaged to stop and pay attention. I also call students, so that they can grab on to my voice and know that I am not a robot on the other side of the computer and that I am available for them. I encourage them to move forward and supply them with the steps that can help them to succeed in class.
~Professor Cynthia Huhges
Reply to Melissa smith-chapman's post:Hello Melissa
In your post you stated that you text with your students both online and on-ground; I do as well. My question to you is do you think that to some degree we are enabling students to not participate in other forms that will be relevant for them to learn outside of their personal habits?
~Professor Cynthia Hughes
