Measuring Good Communication | Origin: EL105
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Online Language: Communicating with Students --> Measuring Good Communication
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
Measuring Good Communication – What I’ve Learned and How I Intend to Apply It
From this module, I’ve learned that measuring good communication in online learning goes far beyond counting discussion posts or tracking attendance. Effective communication must be clear, timely, purposeful, and community-centered. It's not just about interaction—it's about quality interaction that fosters critical thinking, engagement, and collaboration.
A major takeaway is the importance of using rubrics to assess communication. Well-designed rubrics help instructors evaluate online discussions consistently by focusing on criteria like relevance, netiquette, justification, grammar, and contribution to the learning community. These tools not only ensure fairness but also set clear expectations for students, helping them improve the quality of their posts.
I also learned that good communication is supported by setting a clear code of conduct, encouraging meaningful discussion rather than minimal or repetitive replies, and providing feedback that builds student confidence and accountability. Another vital component is facilitating a sense of community where students feel safe to share ideas—this is where true engagement begins.
Moving forward, I will apply this by integrating rubrics, value statements, and participation guidelines into my online course syllabi. I’ll also monitor discussions regularly, provide constructive feedback, and guide students toward deeper dialogue—so communication becomes a tool for learning, not just a requirement to check off.
I have found very few students who enjoy participating in discussion boards, I think it partly the idea behind them being obligated to participate, but mainly due my inability to facilitate discussions well. I need to do better about fostering a good conversation amongst the students.
Rubrics are a great form of communication unto themselves. They help the instructor to set clear guidelines for success and the student to understand the valuable features of a lesson.
Student participation in online discussion assignments facilitates learning and critical thinking. The instructor needs to develop policies and inform students of them before an assignment is completed so each student is aware of the assignment objectives and what areas they will be assessed. Rubrics are an assessment tool that can provide students with these specific requirements and when used correctly be an instrcutor can provide the student with feedback on the areas they are doing well and areas where improvement is needed and how they can make those improvementson future assignments.
In my Master's program, some professors used rubrics to help the students decide how much effort they wanted to put into the assignment based on how much time they might have. The level of participation was connected to a specific grade. The rubric clearly stated that if you wanted an "A," then these were the expectations. They did this specifically for discussion forums. An "A" might be "significantly respond to three of your cohort's discussion points." A "B" wopuld required two responses, etc.
Without clear boundaries and set expecttions from the instructor how can a student get started in and online classroom? Therefore, the rules and guidelines must be presented in the beginning of the course. Student must be highly engaged and willing to provide quality participation. It is the only vehicle they can utilize to succeed. Others students (shy personality types) will see that extrovert students whom participate form a sense of cohesive unity in the online classroom and therefore the inverts can "risk" participation as well. In the beginning the introductions are an essential part of the classroom and the instructor can set the pace for individual student participation.
To verify if the student is getting it, written communication can be used .
This module highlights the value of rubrics in providing clear feedback to students on assignments. However, I think offering support before grading is beneficial, especially if students may have misinterpreted instructions or encountered confusion. A preliminary assessment via email can help clarify expectations and guide students toward improvement. Rubrics can then be effectively utilized for final grading, ensuring consistency and transparency.
Grammar, timeliness, and relevance are important for the students to understand. As an instructor, trying not to intervene too much but encourage students when needed to further the discussion. Rubrics are important to help instructors remain fair and neutral and allow students to have a clear understanding of what the expectations are.
I've learned that rubrics are essential for measuring effective communication online, prioritizing quality over quantity. I will create detailed rubrics aligned with learning outcomes, emphasizing relevance, justification, and netiquette. Sharing these rubrics in advance will set clear expectations, and I will use them to provide constructive feedback and promote self-reflection. I'm interested in others' experiences with effective rubric criteria and ensuring alignment with learning objectives.
I had not thought about using a rubric to guide students in appropriate communication guidelines in an online course. I intend to use this idea in the future.
With online learning emails, posts, and other written communication is the best way to assess students levels of understanding and engagement.
One of the ultimate goals of effectively designed online programs from a teaching perspective should be to assess learning. As students communicate and complete assignments/projects, they must understand how they will be assessed. Criteria must be used as the basis of a framework for measuring growth in the learning process. To effectively complete assessments, rubrics are a key component.
A rubric is simply an assessment tool. Many are provided online or can be developed online through websites such as Rubistar. Rubrics should include a set of criteria that connect to specific outcomes/objectives of the course or assignment. Rubrics allow for standardized evaluation and make the evaluation process more simple and transparent. Rubrics provide students (through peer evaluation) and the instructor with a guide with which to provide feedback to others through formative or summative assessment. Rubrics should provide specific criteria, a range of performance, and a focus on the objectives.
I like the suggestion of attaching at Rating Scale for grading participation in discussions
Good communication drives student engagement in online courses. A respectful tone, clear expectations, and personalized interactions help instructors build connections and improve learning.
As instructors, we should avoid dominating discussions, instead guiding students to share their thoughts, analyze content, and reflect on their learning. This helps create a collaborative and community-driven learning environment.
Utilizing a ruberic is a very helpful tool that helps lay the groundwork for expectations of behavior and participation in the class, and provides specific details about the assignment(s). The ruberic also helps the professor provide a fair grading system that makes it easy to defend in my opinion, because its all written out in the ruberic. I also learned the term netiquette. I had never heard it used before. I will now use this terminology too when addressing online presence.
Once we put guidelines and expectations up for Students to follow; using a rubric to give feedback on their communication will guide the Student into a more positive effective communication for the work force.
Communiation should be established within the course
