I agree that a faculty expectations announcement/document should be posted prior to the start of the session. Expectations should include the following; contact information, when chat sessions are held, email & voicemail turnaround times, grading criteria, discussion board guidance, where to submit assignments, naming conventions for submitted assignments, due dates of assignments, late work policy, and the academic integrity policy.
I always email this information to students in advance of the session and discuss it as well on the first chat so that everyone is aware of this information.
Erin,
These are all very excellent takeaways. Well stated.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Some participants have mentioned the way of treating 'expectations' as a two way street. I've taught blended and classroom learning before, but am relatively new to online instruction. Now that I'm getting the hang of it, I think that I'll be posting a welcome letter and a set of expectations for both the students and myself. This will include basic things like "use the paste from Word feature" and "run spellcheck" as well as more involved expectations: You and I will: participate, engage, be respectful, be mindful of time constraints, etc.
Especially with the online environment, I'm also beginning to see how helpful rubrics can be for guiding students. Working with a rubric that has examples of different quality work is not something I had even considered before, and is an outstanding suggestion. The less room there is for misunderstanding -- especially when online communication can be so tenuous anyways -- the better!
Donald,
Yes, students who have access to the Internet have total empowerment for control of the process and product of their learning, and their own person. The World Wide Web provides the world of knowledge and information to them like it has never before been available in human history. All information needed is avaialble, and much more. Much of it is available free of cost and encumberance of any imposed process or required product.
I may be misunderstanding your point, but I believe the benefit of online classes may be that the student gives up some of that 'power' in order to be guided by a process established by a learned expert it the discipline in which the student desires to gain more expertise. By virtue of an online class being constructed, process limitations and activity decisions are necessarily implemented to guide the learner to specific products/accomplishments that delineate progress of learning toward specific course objectives.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Kenneth,
Very good point. There are times when students need clarification on institutional policies.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Jerry,
These are both very important components. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Barbara,
Standardization is being attempted in some states, like Florida, where the course naming and numbering system is made available for institutions to apply to have their courses recognized for equivalence and transfer of credits. It seems diversity in postsecondary classrooms has been with us for a long time. Academic Freedom and institutional differences are big parts of this. Even within the same institution there are often disparities among subject matter experts on class requirements.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
In today's industrial world, workers do not have control over the product, the process, and even their own person while within the working environment. In order for a learner to feel empowered, they must be able to control the product of their learning, the process under which they learn the material, and their own person, as well as their own environment. If an online course can ensure that the learner is in control of these three issues, then learning with a little bit of work is assured. This is my opinion.
Donald L. Buresh
847-872-1659
One of the biggest issues that faculty must face is “student assumptions.†For example, many course are not written by individual faculty. Courses are usually written by someone in a central office. This should be clearly explained to students so they understand that faculty do not have the latitude to make changes to course assignments. In addition, faculty must remind students that policies on plagiarism, late assignments and posting requirements are University policies, not simply an interpretation by faculty. This helps to make students aware that rules cannot be broken without consequences. This approach helps to set expectations from the students’ perspective.
Deadlines and assignment due dates are very important. I also post the grading rubric for ALL the personal assignments so the students know how I am going to grade their paper in advance, even before they start writing the paper.
Sandy, I find that many instructors don't require students to cite and list references, and I think it is a must in all classes. By not doing so, we are doing the students a disservice.
It would help if there was a community for instructors so that we could all be on the same page as much as possible in course requirements. If instructors follow the course assignments and rubrics, as well as constructive feedback, students should have a good idea of what is expected of them in each class, so that the differences are not too great.
Nicole,
Very good points. Assessment of the orientation is with a minimally required score would be a good expectation. Some schools do this, but many still do not.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Carla,
Very good. Dialogue and clear communications are foundational for classroom management.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I feel the important elements are:
Expecting instructors and students to view, understand, and assessment of navigation orientation. Some students do not know how to view parts of the course containing information with deadlines. Students cannot view and keep the due dates without this information. I like the way the modules are set up for Max Knowledge because you know where you are at any given time and can see a check mark when a section is completed.
Before the start of any class, I post my course expectations. This timing allows the student to "marinate" on the expectations. On the first night of class, I read and discuss these expectations with the class. I receive very thoughtful questions during each class. I use their questions and the discussion to build on my course expectation letter. This allows me to send clear messages to students about everything from expectations and requirements, to standards for coursework and behavior.
Garry,
Your point about professional distance is well founded. We will actually be harming our students by inadvertently reinforcing behavior that will be very detrimental in the professional setting. Some say may say, "Well they won't do that in the work place." However, if we train them in a manner where the inappropriate behavior gets the results they desire, that behavior will be their first inclination and they will have to overcome the training we gave them.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Shelley,
You 'expectations' post is very thorough and well founded. To address the "expected grade" issue; my respnse is direct and desinged to discount the drama:
"The money you paid was for the access to the resources, of which I am one, to build your education. What you produce with these resources will determine your grade. The grade is based on the performance and/or product produced. If you go to the hardware store and buy (get access to) all of the tools and parts to build a house, the building inspector is not going to 'pass' you on the inspection of the house based on your payment for the materials and resources."
Then I redirect them to the resources provided (instructions, readings, learning activities, etc.). I do not engage in any banter beyond that.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Setting reasonable expectations for instructor availability is a key element in the online environment. While the online environment often requires a greater degree of one-on-one contact with students, there should be a professional and personal distance as with traditional on ground education.
Recent studies have shown that culturally we are overstimulated and that deep contemplative thought is occurring less and less. These studies are demonstrating that part of the problem is actually over availability. We respond to e-mails far too quickly.We allow ourselves to be available by phone for far too much of the day. Texts interrupt even these phone calls! The impact of all of this, is to dull us. and according to these studies, they actually make us less healthy.
Please don't misunderstand, the solution for expectation that I suggest is not for us all to become Luddites. But instead, that we exercise good judgment… discernment… and wisdom in our use of all of this wonderful technology. And we begin exercising these little regarded virtues of old by making the expectation of when we are available and by what means we are available clear and evident for our students. we must let them know how much time may pass before we contact them when they e-mail a question. We must let them know that midnight is too late to call a teacher in any US time zone.
This will all have the added benefit of preparing the student for dealing with real people in the physical world.
Sandy,
You provide a thorough overview of the class objectives and guidelines. I follow a similar format. This sets the expectations of the course and the policies that we must follow. Detailed rubrics and any other helpful materials are posted weekly in the Instructor files. If there are questions, I will address them in the Live Chat with a follow-up in the Announcement section of the course. One of the key components in online learning for a student is prompt feedback. We have a window of time for a response; however, I check my emails periodically throughout the day. Students appreciate the fact that you care and are there for them so they proceed with getting work done.
My Best,
Avis Davis
