I don't believe in babysitting and hand holding of my students. This is higher education and you are learning skills to prepare you for a professional career. I think posting exactly what is expected in the class and also setting their expectations of the course content and delivery is also important.
Thomas,
Very well put. It is important that we sent very clear student and faculty expectations for successful courses.
Herbert Brown III
A faculty expectations statement should include the main objectives, goals and outcomes of the course. The statement needs to be extremely clear, precise and concise. It should be direct, but at the same time, it should have a tone that is supportive of students. The tone is very important because it should create an impression that the faculty member is creating an atmosphere of teamwork as opposed to being a dictator or adversarial in nature.
Many students have taken a variety of online courses where the faculty member has been passive or has provided limited availability to a student. For this reason, it is important for the faculty expectations statement not only to include information about what is required from the students to be successful in a course, but it should also contain a commitment from the faculty member to the course. In this way, it gives a student the impression there is a collaborative effort occurring and that a faculty member is going to be available, supportive and committed to delivering the course content and its objectives.
Herbert;
I typically refer them to a standard piece of quality writing such as an NCJRS white paper on a popular topic e.g. identity theft. That helps but the problem of absent skills with basic grammar still exist with some of my students. Thanks for your question.
Dan Campagna
Elizabeth,
I have done this for years; however, I still get students that say "...I didn't know ..." have you had this experience? Have you found a way to address it?
Herbert Brown III
Steve,
I really like your instructor expectations. Your example of asking the students for instructor expectations will provide a strong rapport between you and your students and if you meet those expectations they should see you as having a strong presence in the course.
Herbert Brown III
Daniel ,
Do you also give the students a sample of what quality looks like? For many students today, some of what you mention here is not something that they are used to providing in all of their work.
Herbert Brown III
The initial statement should state in a concise manner all the expectations required of the student and all the expectations required of the instructor. The student should know many assignments will be expected from them each week, how those assignments are to be delivered, what the late policy is, and what the average time commitment for each class is. The student should also understand how they can contact the instructor if they have questions or difficulties. Ongoing communication is key to a successful elearning experience.
The first step in establishing the expectations of the course for students is to direct them to the syllabus. To gain a solid rapport with each student is is equally important to ask the student what expectations they have for his/her instructor and the course. From my experience it is a bit more of a challenge to gain a student's trust in an online environment therefore the instructor must have a solid and on-going presence to keep students engaged.
I believe the basic course expectations are fairly well noted in the course content. As a faculty member I repeatedly find myself expressing the same set of themes each week - substance over logrolling remarks in the DB's, authenticity in perspectives v. cut and paste, applying reason over emotion and opinion to the individual projects. This may seem clear enough but it is a real challenge for many students. So, for me the statement would be a concise overview of what must be produced or submitted each week within the context of substance, paraphrasing, and critical thought.
Rhonda,
Timeliness in responses is very important in online courses. The more timely the response, the more the students feel you are connected and "present" in the course. Providing clear and unbiased grading is another.
Herbert Brown III
William,
These are mainly student centered, and I agree they are important. I have also found it important to list some of the key expectations students should have for their instructors around such areas as grading, communication, timeliness of feedback, etc. I have found that I adjust my expectations and course details each semester in response to what I learn each time I teach the class.
Herbert Brown III
Meeting the requirements of faculty is important; especially responding to students withn 24 hours.
THere are a considerable number of things that should be in the expectations such as, explaining that they must complete assignments using their own words based on research. Any requirements that the instructor may have such as number of sources to be used, citation types, abstracts, etc. The student needs to be provided all of the iinformation that he/she might ask in a ground classroom. Nothing should be a surprise when the class begins.
Suzanne,
I agree that instructor expectations should be included with any student expectations we provide. We as instructors should be held accountable for providing a quality learning experience and timely and appropriate feedback.
Herbert Brown III
Heather,
I agree, students should have some expectations for faculty as well. These are the most common but it is important for a student to understand how/when they can/should contact an instructor. How the instructor handles deadlines and grades. Timeliness of feedback for students, etc.
Herbert Brown III
I think it is important to share not only what is expected of the students, but also what the students can expect from me as the instructor. Giving them a sense of my intended level of involvement can help with my credibility and make their participation seem less daunting.
An important element of faculty expectations would be deadlines, especially in a discipline where employment is deadline driven. Also preferred or accepted communication methods, getting in contact with the instructor when an issue arises before it becomes a problem is essential.
Su,
I like how you included both the faculty member and the student. I also like the categories you used to identify the key areas to include in expectations. The depth in these categories is probably the greatest variability between instructors.
Herbert Brown III
Hello Mr. Brown & thread,
The notice of faculty expectations is important to both the faculty member and the learner. As the expectations are outlined to the student, they get a clear sense of what they can expect from their course facilitator. As a faculty member, it represents a guide to which to follow in order to run a successful course, meeting the student's needs. Some of the elements that I feel are important are:
-Support: students need to feel that the instructor is there supporting their goals and aspirations in the course
-Communication-- there are many avenues that an instructor can implement: phone, email, video conferencing, text, social media to communicate with the learner.
-Visibility--the instructor sets the example in the course (participating in the discussions and responding promptly when contacted.
These are the three that I feel are important expectations for faculty in an online course.
Cheers
Su
