Faculty expectations must be thorough in explaining to the student what is expected of him/her with regard to assignment deadlines, late work, penalties that might be assessed for late work, minimal amount of required discussion postings with the deadlines, chat requirements, format requirement of assignments, competency requirements for achieving the various grade levels along with any rubrics,as well as requirements for proper sourcing of submitted assignments. The tone of the expectation announcement must be positive and provide a supportive role in conveying that as an instructor, your goal is help them succeed in class. The students need to see the instructor as being much more than just a facilitator who will simply grade their assignments. Online instructors should make sure the expectation announcement conveys that the instructor is available to answer questions (at least by email) within a reasonable period of time.
I believe that you should set the student up for success by making sure there are no surprises in the course. I have found that many of the moments where students give up are preceded by moments of surprise. They say things like "I didn't know that was on the test and "I didn't know that was how the assignment would be graded" are common when the course is not laid out for them correctly. Gone are the days where an instructor could issue a cryptic syllabus at the beginning of the course and expect the students to simply figure it out on their own. With the emphasis on value, the courses must be more user friendly, and so the instructor becomes not only the technical and educational lightening rod for the course, but also the customer service representative for the company, interested in external customer impact as much as the successful navigation of the course.
Nancy,
Very good. Linking it to their own success is a good reinforcement.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
James,
Yes, this is very thorough and provides a reference point for the entire term.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Josh,
The two way expectation is an excellent item to establish. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Maritza,
Thank you for sharing. On what do your specify word counts?
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Sandy. My "Course Information and Expectations" list is very similar to yours! I guess we are on the same path. One of THE most important topics for students is the Late Policy.
The other important policy to help students is the research and citation requirements. I provide links and information for students to get extra help. One of the best links is www.citationmachine.net. This provides a template where student type in the info and both the in text citation and the references are formatte
Brian. Thanks for including the list of guidelines for students. I'm going to incorporate the reminder to post all files as a .doc or .docx. This can eliminate those frustrations at seeing a file extension that is unreadable.
It's important to remind students that assignments that are emailed will not be graded.
Assignments in our classes must be scanned by turnitin.com in order to be graded.
To help students understand the Late Policy, I post it in several places including the "Course Information and Expectations" announcement and in the Instructor Files. When grading I also remind students of the Discussion Board scheduling policy and the Late Policy.
When students email me to let me know they are submitting at late assignment, I post the Late Policy in my reply.
It's critical that students have the guidelines at the onset of the course so they can develop their own schedule and thereby understand the consequences of not complying with the policies.
Communication is the key to student success and communicating expectations is an important first step in setting up an online course. I liken it to the saying: If I know what the rules are first, I can play a better game.
In the "Course Information & Expectations" announcement that I post on the first day of the session I include the following to inform students of not only what is expected, but their responsibilities to achieve a successful outcome:
--Course Outcomes as stated in the syllabus.
--Late Policy
--Grading Rubric
--Academic Honesty Policy
--How to Prevent Plagairism
--Attendance Policy
--Discussion Board Guidelines
--Individual Project Guidelines
--Group Project Guidelines
--Good Study Habits
--Keys to Success
--Chat Session Schedule
--Office Hour Schedule
--Assessment of Assignments
--Make-Up Policy
--Resource links for research
--Instructor Feedback & Grading Information
I think several components are important. I include the following (based on what was identified as important from my initial training). Instructor contact information and office hours, suggestions for dealing with technical issues (including tech support contact information), course overview and materials, information on where to go for APA assistance, library information, DB and IP (and Group Project) requirements/expectations, assignment deadlines, late policy and extension guidelines, incomplete policy procedures, grading criteria and rubric information. I think all of these are important – although it is a lot to read, it provides a lot of answers before the questions are even asked.
In an online course, it can be easy for a student to feel like they aren't connected to anyone (in particular the instructor). One part of the expectations form that I think helps the students in a course is setting a time frame for the faculty response to emails/phone calls. Where I've worked, it's been expected to respond within 24 hours and no later than 48. I think that having that expectation of faculty sets the tone for the students of how serious the course is and that there is someone that will quickly help the student. It is easy to get behind when you aren't meeting someone face to face that looks you in the eye and asks how you are progressing. So, I think that feeling that the interaction is there and will happen in a timely manner helps the students feel better and helps contribute to their success.
Along those lines, I think another important idea to impart in the expectations is that there are expectations I have of the students, but there are also things they can expect of me. So, I can set a good example by meeting my expectations.
For the student expectations, I think it is good to just be really clear about when assignments will be due, where to turn them in, late policies, extension policies, etc.
Norwyn,
These are all very helpful. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Stephen,
These are very good. Thank for sharing the objectives, which in turn affect the crafting of the communication to the students. By alluding to these benefits in the wording of the expectations statement you can further allay the anxiety. Very nice.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Brian,
Bilateral accountability is a great way to help establish trust in the student. Well done.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I structure my opening statement to include five core elements - I give them my expectations specifically relating to word counts and grading guidelines, remind them to refer to the course syllabus often, provide informational tips on technical issues that they can avoid, and welcome them to class.
It is very important that as instructors we set the expectations so the students are aware of what is required and what they should expect.
Some information that I think should be included in the class expectation are:
• Grading Rubric – The student will know from day one what is needed to get the grade they desire. There will be no surprises
• Assignment Deadline and late submission policy can be included
• Discussion Board assignment level of engagement requirement
I think including this information will definitely provide some clarity for the student from day one.
I feel that the important elements of a faculty expectations statement that can help set the appropriate expectations for learners in my online course would include several items.
First, it would inform the student what the role of the facilitator is ~ one who facilitates the learning process. If the student understands that the parameters of the role of the facilitator, he/she would lessed the frustration by understanding what the university expects from its facilitators. Second, it would make communication clear by giving students information on how and when to reach the instructors. It should let the students know what the preferred method of reaching the instructor is ~ when to expect a response, and also an alternative means to reach the instructor if, for some reason, the instructor's primary means of communication is "offline." Third, the student needs to know what kind of technical information concerning the navigational tools used within the course platform and how can more effectively answer them and within a reasonable time period. This would be whether the instructor or Technical Support ~ and what the hours of Technical Support are and how to reach them if the instructor is not available.
With these three primary expectations, I believe that most of the anxiety can be eliminated from a student when they first approach a new class.
Below is an example of not only my expectations but the expectations that the students should that I have for myself for them. This makes us both accountable!
Projects are due on the due dates. Â That ultimate due date for each week is always Monday by 11:59:59 PM MST; however, in certain instances there may be earlier due dates so please be sure to look at earlier due dates for each project within the week. *Unfortunately, I will be unable to accept late projects. Â There are no exceptions to this rule.* Â
2. You need to provide references  for ALL the work that you submit to this course. When you are citing your  references make sure that you do it in the American Psychological Association (APA) style.   Points will be deducted from your work if it lacks references  and/or you do not use the APA style. APA format information can be found in the left-hand column of the course home page under the heading: Learning Resources. Click on that link and then click on the subheading: Writing Center. This will take you to helpful information for understanding having your references in APA format
3. Never turn in your assignments by email. Â Online records your grade based upon your submission of a project through the course home page. Â
4. Please make sure that prior to submission of your papers that the document name ends with " .doc" or ".docx" (i.e., Microsoft word) and NO other file name (e.g. .pdf).Â
5. Prior to submission of your assignments please make sure that your work is original and it has been proofread for grammar and content.
6. Make sure that you maintain at least 3 posts for each of the discussion board projects. Your initial must be in response to the assignment questions the other two posts must be in response to other's postings. Your initial post must be a minimum of 150 words and your responding posts must be a minimum of 50 words.

7. It is unacceptable for students to resubmit a portion or all of a project that has been previously submitted by them to Ashford University.
What you can expect from me:
1. All discussion board grades will be posted within 3 days (Thursday) and assignment grades will be posted within 6 days (Sunday) of the end of the course week. Â
2. Final grades will be posted no later than 7 days of the end of the course (Monday).
3. Weekly Guidance information will be posted by the beginning of every course week (i.e., Tuesday's).
4. I will answer all of your questions and concerns within 48 hours whether you send me an email or post a question in the Ask Your Instructor Forum. For confidentiality purposes, it is usually best to send me an email.Â
Thank you for your attention!!!! Â If you have any questions don't hesitate to send me an email!
Laurie,
I find the same response you indicate from many of my students.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
