Hi Gary, Your instructional style needs to include an attitude of helpfulness in relation to the basic knowledge that is required for your course. You mentioned that the biggest problem is that students don't have the basic knowledge required for success in your course. Granted you should not offer a total remediation course to get your students up to skill level, but you can offer basic information at the beginning of your course to assist them in assessing how much they know about the area. This form of instructional style will help you to develop rapport with your students and encourage them to work hard to acquire the required skill levels. Gary