Hi Jody, what type of information do you include in your faculty letter? Tina
Hi Amy, you make me smile because I felt the same way when I first started teaching online:-) Tina
Almost three years, and after one year of teaching on-campus. I started out doing everything wrong because I was used to communicating in person. I relied heavily on what I had taught my students regarding business communications in order to make it through the first quarters.
I agree that students need to know a time frame for responses to their email messages and to their assignments. They need specifics about what I expect from them in discussions, too. What I've been noticing lately is that they need to know what they are responsible for knowing. For instance, I have students who get almost to the end of the term before they ever read a single comment I've made on their assignments. And I have students who don't check their scores for weeks and weeks and then they get surprised when their grades are low. Next time around, I'm going to be very clear about how they keep up with that and that they are responsible for doing so each week.
As an online instructor you should have a welcome letter, what you expect from the class. It is real important to have these types of things from the get go, so there are no surprises along the way!
Hi Amy, how long have you been teaching online? It appears that you have developed excellent strategies for facilitating your course and helping learners persist and successfully achieve the course outcomes!! Tina
I tend to be highly specific in my course expectations, and I state everything often. However, the reason my expectations evolve is I learn a new set of rules with every class I teach. I send out my expectations for every staple assignment in the course and weekly announcements that address each task (with tips or instructions based on past assignment experiences) and religiously recite the discussion, journal, and specific assignment requirements each week. I also provide rubrics for the larger projects and PowerPoints addressing common FAQ's from past classes such as how to attach files or read feedback. All deadlines are clear. I also make sure the students know that I had been a hard-working student once and understand what they experience, as well as any rules that apply to my role in their learning. I think it is a relief for them to know the instructor is an open, helpful person and that there are no hidden surprises in the course. It's not 100% successful, but it's a work in progress. What I want is for them to feel that they can be successful in the course; I don't know if I'm achieving that.
Hi Samuel, these are important criteria for your expectation statement. I also recommend that you make it clear what your specific expectations are for interacting in discussions (i.e. number of days in discussion, number of interactions with other learners, etc.). Tina
The faculty expectations statement should contain the following elements:
-Specific learning objectives of the course
-Topics covered (In my courses, I also include an explanation of why a topic is included in the content and how it is integrated into the course. This explanation is covered as an introduction to the learning module and not not specifically in the faculty expectation statement.)
-Grading expectations (What are the assignments, discussions, and assessments? How will I grade them and what are the weights for each?
-I also try to include some of my own perspective about how the course fits into the curriculum and what I hope that I student will learn and take from the course.
-Finally, I want my statement to emotionally resonate with the students. It needs to send a message that I am there for them and that I will support and assist them in there learning.
Although many elements of the faculty expectations statement can duplicate the syllabus, the statement is unique to to the instructor and should be written in a manner that makes the student feel as if he or she has personally met the student.
Hi Tim, I have also had issues with learners not understanding the role I will play in course activities such as discussions, so it's a good idea to be very clear to learners how you will engage with them throughout the course. Tina
There are many things that could be and should be included in this type of welcome letter. First and foremost, your backgroud is important. It helps the student see that you are human and not just a computer that grades their assignments. Also, you should include office hours, grading policies and procedures, as well as make up guidelines. Additionally, technical support instructions would be helpful. Finally, anything else that might be course specific information that the student would need to know - i.e. where to locate course specific videos, extra materials, your blog, etc.
Hi Charlotte, this is important information to include in your expectations. Do you have expectations for your students to follow? Tina
I explain that I am a facilitator of a course. I am there to help the students learn. I will set clear expectations about what I expect out of my students, and what my students can expect out me. Some items that I include are: How I can be contacted. When I can be contacted. How long is a reasonable time frame that my students will wait before they can expect a response from me.
Hi Cindy, for instance you can state the number of days they need to be active in discussions, how many learners they need to interact with in discussion, the expectations for learners if they get behind, policies and procedures. You should also make it clear what they can expect from you in regards to the turn around time on grading assignments, how you will interact with them in discussions, etc. By setting expectations at the beginning of the course, you can keep from disunderstandings, frustration, and unmet expectations from occuring. Tina
