Online Classroom Communication
Section 2 of EL105 establishes the two main ingredients in establishing effective communication in the classroom -Clarity and Consistency. The online instructor is task with the responsibility of getting everyone involve. Sometimes students are reluctant to share thoughts and ideas because of a perceived or lack in their communication ability. If I noticed such a situation I usually will call the student and talk to the student and become more of a coach in order to help the student learn. On other situation they are encouraged as they received comments on mandatory discussion postings. If their postings are very flawed with spellings and grammatical errors (or inappropriateness) I will send them and email relating to the errors.
Some course structure demands that students post a substantive post on the Discussion Board by Wednesday of the week and are expected to respond to at least two posts by the week's end on Sunday 11:59 P.M. This forum encourages student to participate and also to be cognizant of the tone of their response.
Neer,
Clarity and consistency are key words that play a part in many things in the online classroom. These pertain to discussion boards and many components of the classroom. Thanks for adding to this forum.
Neer,
I've seen the discussion board protocol you listed. I have seen it increase student interactions. Clear guidelines are beneficial for all involved.
Sara and Neer,
Thanks for sharing the information. Clear guidelines are a must.
We can learn so much from each other in these forums.
Neer,
It is important as instructors we recognize students cannot be effectively engaged in the course material if they are overwhelmed with the technology and the depth of the instructions. We must provide clarity with every assignment with a “personal touchâ€. I try to create an upfront connection with my students via the discussion board. My goal is to present real life examples (overview) of the course material, while introducing myself. This has been helpful because it provides a concept of expectations/ consistency and sets a friendly tone for the course.
Kenneth Terrell
Neer,
I too have seen the discussion board protocol. The key concept being, 'guidelines".
Kenneth
Kenneth and Neer,
Clarity with a personal touch reminds me of the motto of a previous university I used to work at: Educational Excellence in a Personal Environment. If we can all strive to make this a reality, that would be awesome.
Kenneth,
Yes, as the students understand the expectations and guidelines better, the more in depth the discussion board postings can become. Thanks!
