Paulette,
Great process. Do you have a communication policy as part of your syllabus or course policy?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hello Dr. Wilkinson,
Yes. To begin with, I post a welcome letter in the Announcements at the beginning of each class, informing students of weekly schedules for interactive chat sessions and office hours for the entire course. I also include a "Course Expectations" document that includes grading criteria.
I also post a weekly announcement introducing the week's topics, pointing them to any new material that I posted in the Learning Materials Forum and reminding them about the week's interactive sessions.
I encourage open communication therefore I receive many emails from students. I respond to the emails promptly - usually within 24 hours.
Paulette
Paulette
How do you keep students informed? Announcements? Emails?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
My teaching pattern includes explicit class expectations, clear communication of assignment due dates and meeting schedules in case of synchronous classes. I also present a brief summary of all class assignments and due dates at the beginning of the class.
Dr. Stephens
Daniel,
I agree. I also use a discussion board that students have to post questions before they email me if the question is about the course. If another student answer they get extra points. It does work to foster collaboration and it makes students look at the syllabus.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Daniel,
You make great points. yes, there is a trade off particularly if you have a diverse group of students particularly traditional and nontraditional. Also, the online course design can become so complex you have to weigh that thought also. Do you really need everything?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
George,
You are right. Don't you think that teaching pattern and course design should go hand in hand? Consistency is the key.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I consider my first rule is to lay out in detail the rules of the class and the second rule is to apply the rules fairly to all members of the class. Experience has taught me to answer some standard questions up front (such as, is there extra credit) and refer the student to the syllabus when they ask the question 3 weeks later.
The problem I once encountered is, when making changes, you must change in all three areas or students are quick to point to the one area you forgot and use that as an excuse. The other side of the coin is how many times does your boss send reminders to you? If he/she did it 3 times they would be labeled as a micromanager and the message is he/she does not trust you to get it right the first time. There is always a trade-off.
Hello,
I think when we as instructors establish a pattern of teaching we must make sure we outline the objectives and the course materials first - this helps students to understand and follow throughout the course. Secondly, I think being present in the course and making sure we are available to our students.
Tony,
I agree with you. There is some research that suggests teaching to learning styles cripples students. Students need to be adaptable in learning and we need to support that.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I’ve seen some students take the need for consistency too far to the point that the student has become rigid. Some students desire consistency across several courses. They are thrown aback by a different teaching style. If we allow our students to become rigid and incapable of dealing with change, then we’re not preparing them for a professional career.
Emmanuel,
This is one place that silence is NOT golden.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Emmanuel,
Agreed. All of them speak to course design. That is such an important part of an online course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yes, Dr. Wilkinson. Those two are recipe for disaster.
When establishing a pattern of teaching, what do you believe are the two most important things to consider?
Three important things I will consider are as follows: rubrics/outline grading process, assignment clearly defined, and expectations outlined in order to make students understand what is required from the class/course. At AIU-Online, we are perfecting the three I discussed.
Kimberley,
You are right, consistency is the name of the game. Confidence comes with consistency for both the instructor and the student.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Denise,
I agree with you. Expectations should be established and reiterated regularly. It wouldn't hurt for the students to have expectations that you will follow.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I think that it is important to consider consistency when establishing a pattern of teaching. Content, assignment submission etc must be readily available to the student and in the same location (centralized location).
When the pattern of teaching is consistent then students are better able to navigate and understand the course objectives.
Robert,
Interesting element of healthcare. It is impressive when you can model through your teaching style the expectations you have of your students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
