Hi All, This response is meant for all Students registerd in this course. Satrohan _____________________________________________ As an Instructor, you do not lose the ability to know your students in an online learning environment. Of course, you can do this faster and with less effort in an on-the-ground setting. There are two measures you can take to know your students in an online environment. The first is to ask Students to post a short biography of themselves in which you suggest that they state their: Reasons for taking the course Expectations after completing the course Expectations of you Work-experience if they are employed Special interests, hobbies etc. Any special talent they bring to the learning environment from which other students may benefit You may be able to use some of this information as "ice-breakers" to establish a student-teacher relationship as you work towards developing this relationship from a distance. In terms of the knowledge and skill levels with which students enter your course as they pertain to the nature of the course content, you can review course descriptions of any prerequisites for your course; or you may administer a pre-test. Satrohan