Students appreciate it when instructors explain what is expected of them. Many of our students juggle work and family responsibilites along with their school work and having clear, comprehensive course objectives and requirements help the students to plan ahead.This can be accomplished with a thoroughly written course syllabus. In addition, it is important to review the syllabus with students and answer any questions they may have.
Hi Megan,
Right you are. Clear, concise information about course expectations, polices and requirements are essential in getting the course off to a good start and helping the students to find their comfort level in the class.
Gary
By giving the students a clear understanding of what is required of them, this allows them the opportunity to achieve the goals outlined. Students need to understand what is expected out of them in order for them to achieve success. No-one wants to be left in the dark and a comprehensive and clear understanding of the course requirements gives them the guidance to reach their potential.
Hi Sandra,
There is a trade off between on-site and online courses. The trade offs are just as you mention, one you get to see and "read" the students while working with them on-site. I really like teaching on-site because of the interaction I get to have with them.
Teaching online courses gives you the opportunity to work with students in a different way so you have to work hard to encourage discussions and interaction with each other. A lot of my satisfaction in teaching comes from the student interaction which I get from both forms of teaching, but my preference is teaching on-site since the feedback I get is instant.
Gary
I take an online course personally and cannot wait for the day that I am able to teach one. I love the human interaction, but I also think that I would enjoy the lack of interruptions by teaching online. How do you like it?
I completley agree. I don't want the cell phones ringing disturbing other students. Cellphones need to either be turned off or placed in silent/vibrate mode in case of the emergency call.
I also feel that it is respectful for students who do have to take that occassional call to take the call outside of the classroom, keep it brief, and return to class without disrupting fellow students.
Texting is not allowed during class.
Personally I feel that sharing comprehensive and clear course requirements with students help them to have a roadmap that they can follow as they navigate through the course. They are able to know exactly what is required and steps to take to obtain success.
Sandra
It is important to give a comprehensive and clear description of the course requirements to ensure that students understand how to be successful in the course. Success is a broad term which can mean many things such as scoring well, meeting course objectives, learning important proceedures of the field, etc.
Hi Sara,
You are so right about needing to provide all of the course requirements at the beginning. If an instructor does not the course is going to be rocky at best when changes are made and need requirements added.
If the syllabus lays out clearly the course expectations, requirements and polices then both the instructor and the students know how to operate within the course. If changes are needed they can be made with clear understanding because the students know the parameters of the course and the reasons for the changes so they don't get upset when the changes are made.
Gary
It's so important to be very clear from the start about all requirements of the course. Once the course starts, any missing information about requirements will be a quick headache for both the instructor and the student, and will can have a negative impact on the student getting the full opportunity to meet the objectives of the course.
To give a specific set of expectations for students to obtain so that they have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
I think this gives students an idea of what "they've gotten themselves into" as far as the work and time they will be spending on the course, as well as provides students with a framework for how much they will learn throughout the course. People like to have a clear "plan," and creating a comprehensive "clear" description of course requirements give students the feeling that an instructor is prepared and has an ultimate goal of seeing his/her students learn.
This is one of the most valuable uses of time to reduce student apprehension and assure that everyone is starting out on the same page.
It establishes what is expected of the student from the very beginning and it may help the student set realistic goals to accomplish these requirements.
I agree. It is important to establish trust between the student and the instructor to foster success. Clearly defined course requirements are the foundation and framework for the course. It serves as a reference point for the student, as well as the instructor. It can also function as a guide and a time management tool for students. Overall student success is achieved when they know what is expected of them and what their objectives are.
M.Guzman
Dr. Meers:
It is important to provide a comprehensive and clear description of the course requirements to establish trust in the classroom and between the instructor and student. The requirements are a contract and when they are provided in a comprehensive and clear manner, it establishes a bond that enables students to believe that if they complete the criteria at a required level of quality and specification, they will be able to pass the course and earn a good grade. When the requirements are muddled, there is fear and mistrust. Also, the requirements are at type of roadmap and enable a student to visualize what is needed today, next week and at the end of the course. This permits the student to plan accordingly and avoid any surprises or misteps.
Suzanne
Hi Kay,
Good point. This is a great advantage to online courses, no cell phones. Makes me want to teach more online courses so I don't have to deal with the phone issue.
Gary
Hi Kay,
Your review method is a great way to keep the upcoming assignments in the course fresh in the minds of the students. Also, they can get their questions answered so they can focus on course projects rather than fretting about what is expected.
Gary
One great thing about online classes, is there is no issue with classroom environment. I never have to worry about being interrupted by cell phones.
You will improve overall student success in the class if they have a clear understanding of what is expected. I teach a classes where all assignments are subjective and there are no quizzes. I find that going over the course requirements during our first Live Chat (at this online school we have 2 one hour iteractive sessions per week) and then reviewing assignments during every chat greatly helps students accurately complete assignments. Sometimes assignments are not clear to the students or students can easily miss key assignment requirements. I have seen this constant review significantly improve student work.
