Get Your Students Hired
This is something that i have definitely struggled with as an online faculty member. It seems like certain students are great with communication and others speak very rarely. I would love to hear more of other's suggestions.
Sabahudin,
Encourage, encourage, encourage!!! Some students take a very big step in coming back to school. Excellent post!
Shelly Crider
James,
I share the realties of your observations and it becomes quite clear, after a few online sessions, what the learning distribution is for the class overall. Although obvious and challenging at the same time, I prefer to advocate discussion real-time during the lecture sessions by asking questions of the online participants regarding the content being delivered. I not only reflect on the actual answer but also pay a great deal of attention to the tonation, delivery, comprehensiveness, and confidence levels of the students response. I attempt to strike a balance between rhetorical and socratic questioning to help forge a direction consistent with the learning obectives of the module being delivered. I recognize the value and rewards of online chat sessions but also enjoy the live conversation and dialogue that spontaeously surfaces with immediate feedback and instructor guidance, probing, etc.
It is very important to guide entry-level students not only through the class material, but also through the ways they can become successful students. They have to develop study habits, learn organization skills, and read expectations of the teachers. In order to be effective and help them with such tasks, I would: 1. Encourage them by discussing the reasons to succeed and ways to do so, 2. Hold them accountable for meeting the established deadlines, and 3. Explain in details what they achieved in each submitted text and what they need to improve on for the next time. In correspondence, my tone is very friendly and respectful, and yet formal. That way, the students can establish a proper relationship with me, and orient themselves to the ways one functions in college.
Mountasser,
Students do not really want to learn and discuss something that is old news. They like what is happening or going to happen to them!
Shelly Crider
james,
It might help those sinking students to see a weekly schedule on how to get caught up. "If you can work on assignment xx and xx on Monday and xxx on Tuesday, I can see you getting caught up." Then if you have set online hours, be sure to let them when you are available.
Shelly Crider
I always do this to motivate students to be more active in class discussion. I'm the first one to post in the discussion thread on the first day and I share with students articles, websites, etc. that are relevant to the topic being discussed. It is amazing how students jump into the discussion right away and start posting.
There are a few students that, for whatever reason,
the instructor will not be able to help. After a point, the instructor must concentrate on those students that are participating. But, the instructor should continue to send friendly reminders to the non-participating student that they missed an assignment or whose work is below par.
Heather,
Most live chats can be recorded so students who cannot not attend right away, can review and even comment in a discussion area at a later time.
Shelly Crider
kelia,
If students see instructors going above and beyond, they will more likely jump back in. When you respond to a discussion question, use an open ended question to promote more writing from the student.
Shelly Crider
The "live chats" seem like a good way to convey the message of community with online learning. These chats could be mandatory to ensure participation as well.