Helping our students develop non-technical skills starts with creating the expectations for the class. Those rules need to include what materials to use, as well as behavior expectations, deadlines and showing respect for each other and instructors both on-line or face to face. Most importantly instructors must mentor that behavior and hold themselves accountable as well as their students.
Donald,
Agreed. You hope that through their program that all instructors hold students to high expectations when it comes to all types of communication. It will surely help them in their professional fields.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
David,
I agree with you totally! We have to set the high expectations and HOLD them to it. I find it amazing how many instructors won't hold students accountable.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I explain that they are to not just cut & paste materials from outside resources which is a form of plagiarism. They need to paraphrase information like pretend you are explaining to your friend what you just read, but instead type it out. Then use APA format to reference & cite source.
I point out that their assignments go through Turniitin, so they need to police their own assignments & resubmit if necessary before I grade them.
I post a list of Unacceptable web sites that they cannot use like Wikipedia, ehow etc. that if they do their assignments will be turned in to Academic Honesty with a zero grade.
I tell students I'm interested in their own opinions and what they think in discussion board topics. This doesn't take prior knowledge or technical skills.
William,
Do you use videos to help explain the point? There are some great YouTube clips that explain the concepts in unique ways.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
William,
So you allow them to use Turnitin and get the report before they do a final submission?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
William,
Do you have this policy in your syllabus?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
William,
I understand but don't they have to back up their opinions with fact?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I like your comment "Lead by Example." Make sure that you outline your expectations in the syllabus and also in additional locations throughout the course. I make certain to list that text language is not acceptable, and that discussion posts must be written using professional grammar and punctuation. Students are expected to respect the opinions of their classmates.
By praising good posts you reinforce positive work, and all students see what is expected.
Hello,
There are several ways that I assist students to become good online citizens. This includes the following techniques:
1. At the beginning of each course I post a "Netiquette" announcement. The announcement includes proper communication guidelines that needs to be followed in the classroom.
2. I post an announcement requesting that students perform spell check and to proofread their work prior to posting it.
3. I post an announcement regarding plagiarism and now to prevent plagiarism in the online environment. I addition, I provide them the APA guidelines and tutorials that will assist them to properly format a paper and cite their sources.
Warm Regards,
Annabel
I set an example in my own communication by using appropriate language and modeling use of appropriate sources.
In my university, student orientation demonstrates and provides tutorials on good online behavior. I rarely observe any deliberate misconduct. The presence of good online citizens begins with the university policy and code of conduct.
However, my general expectations for the course and the expectations for the Discussion Board assignments reinforce the observance of netiquette and etiquette rules. I provide examples of good conduct. I clearly state that I expect them to be actively engaged in the course as part of the community.
I also provide space for student to exchange the results of their research and learn about websites and sources that are useful for completing their assignments. The students will exchange and assist one another. However, many students are "too polite" and avoid providing useful/positive critical comments on their class mates' posts to the discussion forums.
Albert,
You make a great point. Students need to be able to disagree or provide constructive feedback to each other without taking it personally. You are right, you have to provide the example and the leadership but students don't know how to debate an issue without being argumentative.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kathleen,
You are right. I actually saw a syllabus that provided detailed examples of a good discussion and a good reply and a bad discussion and a bad reply. You can post policies all day long but if you don't hold students accountable it means nothing.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Lindsey,
Good, do you provide specific policies in your syllabus about rules of communication including appropriate language?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Annabel,
These are great strategies. Do you continually refer to them throughout the course?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
To help students become good online citizens I would first define what a good online citizen is through the syllabus and announcment board postings and then I would further provide students with one on one feedback based on my observations of their behaviour.
I would suggest that behaviour is a factor of mindset and mindset is a factor of a persons values.
My question to the discussion board is how would you influence a persons values in a short 5 week class?
