I agree that this can be a point of frustration for students. Because of this fact many organizations will also prescribe to the student what the student can expect. However this does not diminish the importance of the instructor posting an expectations statement. Contact information is the first place to start. I make it a point to have time available on multiple days and times so that students can contact me during the term at a time that is convenient for them. I include my email, phone number, and my Skype address. I will also hold a formal office hours during the week via Skype, or on request. I have found that having multiple methods of contact assists in helping students. Some students like to talk, others need a white board for an example, and a few just want to email their question. It is also important to highlight late, grading, and plagiarism policies as well in the expectations statement.
Tom S.
Richard,
Good question to ask. I know if a timeline has been set it had better be kept or the students start to wonder if other parts of the course are really of value or need to be completed by a set time. When this starts to happen control is slipping away from the instructor and the course is prime for a collapse.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Joyce,
I really like this supportive and comfortable approach to starting a new class. This way everyone can get settled in and see what is going to occur in the upcoming course sessions. By offering technical solutions to possible problems you are helping to reduce the nerves and worries of the students and this is critical if they are going to become engaged in the course. Well done. Thanks for sharing this format with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I would think that turn-around times by the instructor to the student is quite important. I sometimes wonder, however, when an instructor does establish a time-line and the instructor fails to keep it for various and sundry reasons, is then the failure to keep the time-line worse than the failure to establish a time-line in the first place?
I start out with a "Welcome" and brief summary of the course content. I ask them to tell me a little about their online experience, what degree they are pursuing, do they currently work and what they do for relaxation. I then give them my background to help solidify I am qualified to facilitate the course. I review course expectations, my contact information and ask that they write it down along with the computer support number in case they get locked out of the online session or have computer problems. I discuss my grading rubrics for each Unit that has a point system for each assignment. I review the Late Submission Policy and give them the due dates for each Unit's Assignments.
Alfred,
Good way to set the stage so the students can then build off of the expectations that have been shared. This reduces their frustrations because they know what they need to do to be successful in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The course expectations announcement is the second thing I post after the welcome letter. The basics it includes are office hours and contact information, explanations of each assignment type, general class policies and grading rubric generalities.
I go over it at the first live chat to emphasis the parts of particular importance and to ensure an understanding by the learners.
It also allows the program instructors to be on the same page when a student flows from one course to another.
Hannah,
By having clear and concise information at the beginning of the course students will know what they expectations, policies and requirements of the course are. They then can determine their success plan for passing the course without having to worry about what does the instructor want. They know and can work toward meeting those requirements.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Students need to know basic deadline, grading, technology submission issues up front. They can't be learning about it after something has been graded.
Eman,
All of this information is critical to share at the beginning to reduce student frustration and questioning. By knowing this they can start to get settled into the course and plan for how they can be successful.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Q'iana,
Once the students understand through clear and concise information course expectations they then can set their work plan into action. Course expectations also tell them how much they are going to have to work to achieve success and as a result create a study plan for themselves.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
A course expectations statement is an excellent way to start and maintain a course, as it provides a set guideline for the students to understand and review if ever a issue occurs.
It also allows the program instructors to be on the same page when a student flows from one course to another.
I will include my contact information at the beginning of the course expectations. Advise the students to familiarize themselves with the course overview and to read the syllabus. The students should be aware of the details of the interactive learning environment such as chat sessions and instance messages. The grading policy for the assignments should be integrated. Late penalty policy and the incomplete policy need to be stated. Direct the students to the Academic Honesty policy that they should follow. It is available at the Student Handbook, at the Course Catalog or both.
Troy,
Your communication format is a good way to reduce wasted time and as you say get to heart of the question and get it answered for a student. As for the use of a grading rubric I cannot say enough about it. Using one save so much time and questioning on the part of students. I never grade without one.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I would make my contact information available on day one so that students would have a way to contact me at any point during the course. This would include email and phone number. From my experience in teaching pharmacy math, many issues have been resolved more efficiently from a simple phone call rather than back and forth emailing. I would also have detailed rubrics to use for grading, and I would also send them back to the students so that they would know how many points were taken off for each problem and why. TROY
Mary,
Great advice for all online instructor. Everything needs to be made as clear as is possible because there will always be questions by students. The more those questions can be reduced the more time can be spent in the learning arena.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Hi all,
I have found that instructors have to be very specific with faculty expectations. For instance summarizing late penalties, specific scenarios in which they will occur, how work will be graded, etc. The key in my experience has to been to leave little to no room for guesswork by the student.
In my experience, if students aren't clear on an expectation, or fail to understand or meet an expectation, do your best as an instructor to very clearly state what that expectation is going forward.
I have refined my faculty expectations to be very specific leaving little or no room for guessing or misinterpreting by the student. My expectations tend to be very specific so if there is ever a situation in which students claim something wasn't clear, I can cite the specific content that clearly answers their question diplomatically and without a "grey area."
Elivett,
Right you are. This sets the stage for the students to focus on the course rather than worrying about how to get their questions answered.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Fred,
Having this contact information helps to reassure the students because they know they can reach out when they have a question or need. Just knowing they have this information helps them to be forward focused in terms of the course content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
