interaction
helping students to effectively communicate on line is very important for proper interaction with fellow students as well as with the instructors. This is the ongoing learning process which is a requirement in todays life.
Sanjay,
The interaction between students and between the students and instructor is very important. Without it, students feel alone and just like a number instead of a person. Thank you.
I agree. I feel in in a on-line learning environment effective communication is key because you do not have face to face interaction. So its imperative that you communicate thru emails, discussion and proper feedback on all assignments.
Mandy,
You can't communicate enough! I always ask my students about 3-4 weeks into a 15 week course: "What would you like for me to start doing? Stop doing? Continue doing?" And, no matter what, continue communicating always comes up. Thanks for your input.
I do pretty much the same and I think it is worthwhile to wait to ask for these as well. It gives them time to formulate opinions. I get surprising responses to these types of questions. On one occasion, a student requested that I watch for grammar and spelling issues in her written solutions to math tasks. I had not been putting a lot of effort into giving feedback on these as I was focused more on the mathematics. English was not this particular student's first language and she told me that she understood the mathematics very well but was worried that it was not communicated properly. Ever since that response, I am more careful to point out issues that could indicate a misunderstanding of the topic.
Johnnie,
Communication online can be misunderstood in many situations. Making sure all students understand is essential. Thanks.
I agree 100%. I see the more I communicate certainly impacts how much my students engage themselves in the online dialogue. I want them to interact with one another for all sorts of sound reasons--diversity, learning engagement, discussion, etc.
Chris
Christopher,
Interaction between students is key. When they are engaged, the are learning. Nice job.
With our department, Career Services, we build the interaction with our students in a variety of ways. I often email out to all the students and graduates articles of interest, career search tips and/or links to various web sites I think might be helpful. While they have been well received, the main purpose is to have my name arriving in their mail box on a regular basis so they know who I am and how I can help them. I know it's working because I've started to get questions not related to the Career Services Department. When student start contacting me about academic concerns, I know that my "voice" is being heard.
Linda,
Engaging students is a key component. Keep up the good work.
Yes, I agree. The interaction between students, and then between students and instructors is imperative. I know my students must feel safe in communicating with me as well as with the other students. It's a little easier to feel safer online due to the lack of face to face.
Karen,
The "safe" environment helps student build a community of learners. When the community is built within the course, students will interact with others more often. Thanks for your input.
