Posting a warm welcome message
Posting a warm and friendly welcome message can greatly change many negative and apprehensive attitudes of the students in your class. Most students are going to be intimidated and anxious if the course is an analytical course such as calculus or statistics. You can post a message such as this
“This statistic course is an exhilarating and thought provoking course that will be useful to you throughout your academic and professional career. I am looking forward to 12 weeks of lively discussions. I also know a few of you may find the material a bit overwhelming. Do not let it get you down. If you do the work and let me know when you are having problems, I will work with you and find ways to solve the problem. As part of your individual paper and discussion board postings, I want every student to bring examples of their experiences that they have into their work. I am not looking for only academic answers; I will also be looking for integration of relevant articles reviews and web sites references which are focused on the learning modules".
I will actively participate in the discussion forum and will provide summaries or comments whenever I believe they will be helpful.
Again, welcome to our class!!!
THOUGHTS?
Virginia,
It is always a good idea to make your students feel at ease and make sure the students see you as as an open and acceptable instructor. That way if issues arise later in the course, they are more likely to reach out to you.
Herbert Brown III
Virginia,
It is always a good idea to make your students feel at ease and make sure the students see you as as an open and acceptable instructor. That way if issues arise later in the course, they are more likely to reach out to you.
Herbert Brown III
Posting a warm welcome message is and excellent way to "break the ice" with students. In addition to the welcome message, a weekly message addressing the class a whole, outside of the discussion boards, makes the students feel that the instructor is really there for them. In one of the recent online courses I was enrolled in, the instructor did this. Additionally, she added an image that related to the posting. I appreciated the time she took to make this extra effort to make the students feel comfortable with her. It sent the message that she was approachable, and there to assist you.
Jill ,
I believe you will find that many of the things that were effective for you in a face to face class will also be effective in an online class. The only thing that might change is the tools you use to connect with your students.
Herbert Brown III
This sounds like a great idea. I have never taught an online class before, but I always try to be warm during my first day with my students in the regular classroom to help relieve any anxieties they might have. A warm welcome message would help ease their minds in an online situation in the same way. I also liked that you stressed that you will work with the students to find ways to solve problems.
ALLANA,
I agree! Once you make that positive connection with your students your semester will progress for the instructor and students much more smoothly. If you make a personal connection with them they will also be much more likely to open up and ask for help when they need it - critical in online courses.
Herbert Brown III
It is extremely important to post a warm welcome message because it definitely sets the foundation for a positive start to the class as well as it allows the student to understand the mindset of the instructor. Posting a warm welcome message also gives the instructor the opportunity to explain the course expectations and outline the important goals for the course. You only have one chance to set a great impression for the students, and they deserve the best from their instructors. Posting a warm welcome message also gives the students to understand and get to know their instructor from a distance and can even express the sense of care and passion the instructor has for the subject matter.
Dina,
The welcome message can be text or you could record a short video of yourself and upload it or put it on Youtube to add a personal touch. The big thing I have found through the years is to provide as quick feedback to any question or comments that students have! Some schools have policies that say you have to respond within 24 or 48 hours...I have found that the faster I can respond....even if it is to say I will get back with them later...the happier students are and they feel more connected with you.
Herbert Brown III
Dina,
The welcome message can be text or you could record a short video of yourself and upload it or put it on Youtube to add a personal touch. The big thing I have found through the years is to provide as quick feedback to any question or comments that students have! Some schools have policies that say you have to respond within 24 or 48 hours...I have found that the faster I can respond....even if it is to say I will get back with them later...the happier students are and they feel more connected with you.
Herbert Brown III
I also feel that posting a warm welcome is important. Many students are apprhensive and negative.By posting a warm welcome, it becomes more personable and lets the students know someone is there for them. I like how you have let them know that you are there to help. Do you have any other suggestions for me as an instructor just starting online courses?
Geri,
What kinds of things do you put in your welcome message? Is it more about you personally, professionally, or about welcoming them to the course?
Herbert Brown III
The beginning of each class I like to poist a welcoming message to try to put the students at ease and to put the human touch in the forum
Terry,
Do you believe that online courses can develop and have the same "personal touch" that most people associate with a traditional course? How would you go about developing something like that?
Herbert Brown III
I like the way that introduction was worded. It made me think that an online course can have a personal touch by both Instructor and student(s).
Posting a warm Welcome Message for students in very important. This message, to a large degree, sets the tone of the learning environment for many students. It is similar to making that first "really good" impression on students in a face-to-face learning environment. Instructors should formulate a Welcome Message that is inviting, informative, engaging, and encourages both veteran and novice online students towards reaching their educational goals.
There is no doubt that a nice greeting for students through a warm Welcome Message will establish a comfortable, inviting “classroom†right from the start! When you teach online courses, it is especially important to build a connection with students and Welcome Messages are a perfect opportunity to set the tone for what students can expect. It can be a very lonely feeling at times for students, so it’s nice to know that the instructor is warm, understanding, caring, and accessible. A Welcome Message can ensure this gets across to everyone.
Carol Hannon
Paul, I agree that a warm welcome message is essential for students to know that, as an instructor, you are available to them. As a follow up technique, all e-mails should be answered promptly so that each student feels that they are important to you. This would mean that the instructor should check e-mail morning and evening of each day to make sure this technique is a success. Students can get frustrated very easily if they can't get their questions answered within a reasonable amount of time. A frustrated student is more likely to "slack" on their work and thus fall behind in the class. As we all know, falling behind in any class just compounds the frustration of the student.
Jean Riese
Paul ,
A live video session could be used and a Q&A session to discuss student concerns, and questions. Timeliness of responses is critical. I respond in a max. of 24 hours. Even if I can't get the full answer right away I give students a response and tell them when I will get to them so they are not wondering. You can also share in an introduction forum a little about yourself so your students know you are human, and you can find out that they are also human.
Herbert Brown III
Paul ,
This does sound welcoming and reasurring. I as a student would feel that you have my interests at heart and sound like you are hear to help me. Do you also provide other expectations such as communication preferences, how, when, why, discussion specifics and expectations, etc.?
Herbert Brown III
