Class Exepectations
Prior to class commencement, send online learners a list of expectations, methods of success for online learning. Remove negative thoughts and center the focus on success of completing expectatons for common goal.
Hi Regina,
I have personally found this to be a very important step in the teaching process. A simple email that helps to make sure everyone is informed of responsibilities and goals can provide a positive start. I also found that this can help to "weed" out technical problems, such as accessing a e book early in the course. This can help to eliminate frustration. The students also have to right to know what my role and responsibilities are as well. I usually include information about when grades will be posted etc.
Thanks for the discussion.
Best,
Tyra
joyce,
I agree that instructors and students should have clear expectations. These expectations help set the foundation for the online course and should alleviate many of the common questions and issues that arise in a course.
Herbert Brown III
As the instructor we are to set the example for completing all tasks in a timely manner in an online course. We should also make sure we adhere to all college guidelines while at the same time giving expectations of the course to our students!
Juliet,
As an instructor WE do need to be able to budget our time and have good organization and time management skills. Oftentimes, we need to help our students to develop those same skills. Many students do not necessarily come to online learning with these skills. If we don't help our students learn these skills we are setting them up to fail.
Herbert Brown III
Ok...I got the "Class duration" wrong...but I think understanding the time parameters to the course and being able to budget your time is VERY important!! Many of my students fail the course, even though the modules are completely spelled out, due to their failure to understand the duration of the course and time concerns...
Mia,
That is also what I have found. I try to give clear expectations at the beginning of the course and it helps guide the students successfully through the course. The clearer the expectations the less issues you will have later in the course, especially if you get statements like..."I didn't know that..." you can point them back to the clear expectations statements.
Herbert Brown III
Those are great tips. Some of the expectations that I include are timelines, netiquette, etc. I have found that it is best to send Class Expectations early in the class instead of communicating the expectations as you go along. Communicating the expectations at the beginning of the class will clear up a lot of confusion for the students which hopefully will transition into a smoother ending of the course.
Regina ,
Good, I was focusing on the fact that we as instructors need to make sure we provide "timely" feedback on assignments, provide clear expectations on assignments, etc. and provide clear unbiased grading to name few. Being prepared and prioritizing is also important.
Herbert Brown III
Instructor expectations
To be prepared for assignments, by reading chapters, notes and online material
To priortize work if taking multiple classes
To submit work on time, ask for assistance when needed
Participate in discussions.
Regina ,
These are a great start. These seem to be student centered. Are there any instructor expectations you would include as well? What might those be?
Herbert Brown III
