One major issue is the expectations from one instructor another. A student may develop a comfort level with an instructor and his style - and expect the same with a new instructor.
As an example, some students submit papers that have abstracts and some do not. Some instructors include the abstract in the overall page count and some do not.
That is a very good approach, Terry. I always ask the student to address their expectations and potential concerns in their introductions.
Faculty expectations set the parameters of the learning community and should be inclusive in addressing all pragmatic issues that will lead to the student being sucessful in the class. It should also set a positive mindset in the student and start to establish mutual respect in the students.
Greetings:
One thing I always say is if you know the rules you can play the game and if you don't you can't. The expectations tell the students what the rules are so that they can successfully complete the course. Without knowing what is expected it would be difficult to perform well in the class.
Rachelle
Jared:
It is the same and different. Since the student cannot see the instructor and often never speaks with them I believe that the trust has to be developed by the manner in which information is provided to the student. I see the Expectations and the Welcome letter as a way to build trust and have students feel like they have a connection. I believe that as online instructors we just cannot over communicate.
Rachelle
Greetings:
I have found that the more detailed the expectations the better. I cover things that personally I assume students would know or have experienced in other classes however I have learned not to assume anything.
I also continue to tweak my expectations. When I notice students are having a challenge in a certain area or are not sure how to complete an assignment I make sure I include additional information in my expectations. I find that there just cannot be enough detail
Rachelle
James,
I agree it is vitally important and it is very important to include both student and instructor expectations for the course. Such as how fast assignments will be graded, how and when feedback is provided, accessibility of the instructor, etc.
Herbert Brown III
James,
All of these are important expectations for students, do you also post instructor expectations, such as how quickly grading will occur and feedback will be provided, etc. ?
Herbert Brown III
Christopher,
Just curious, what do you or your institution see as a reasonable time frame for communications? The communication or participation aspect of the course, I believe, is the most important. If students do have feel that you are present in the course, they become disconnected very quickly.
Herbert Brown III
Charlene,
Students feel empowered when they are asked about their expectations for the course and their instructor. It also helps to set the tone of the course as one that is collaborative and open for new ideas.
Herbert Brown III
Jared,
Thank you very much for this post. I agree with you that trust is a key component to the success of a student. To that end, the instructor expectation document is very valuable. Nothing builds trust more than clarifying exactly what is expected in the course.
Thanks
Jim
Herbert,
Thank you very much for this question. A faculty expectations document is very important for the student.
In this I post all kinds of information from expectations to support information for the student. Some of the information that I post are: Office hours, Guidelines to posting assignments, Guidelines to live chat sessions, student roles and responsibilities, Student code of ethics, assignment due dates and a late assignment policy.
I also like to post information on frequently asked questions as well as the layout and structure of the course.
Thanks
Jim
I believe the most important expectation to set for an online course is participation, from both instructor and students. The instructor should expect the student to participate in course discussions and by completing course projects. The student should expect the instructor to give meaningful feedback in a timely manner and reply to an student question or concern within a reasonable time frame.
I agree with you Terry. I would ask the students for their expectations of me and what they expect to gain from their course. It is important that you gain the students respect in the beginning and that will also pull them in the further learn the course.
laura,
A tone is important you are correct. However, a basic set of course expectations does help set the tone of the course for all students. Since a syllabus is a legal agreement with your students, establishing core expectations also set the legal expectations for the course.
Herbert Brown III
laura,
These are all good and they all appear to be student focused. Can you imagine any "instructor" focused expectations you might included as well?
Herbert Brown III
Concise, clear, and comprehensible are important elements of a FES. While individual interpretation may be a subjective, the FES should communicate in a concise, clear, and comprehensible manner the response or consequence of meeting or failing to meet course expectations. Too often students have either not understood or failed to comprehend or follow certain course guidelines. It is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure that each student understands these at the beginning of the course.
Thomas,
You make an excellent point regarding tone. It is important to create a collaborative and supportive atmosphere. This can often be lost in detailing deadlines and late policies.
I include the following information in an announcement that I post to classroom and email to all students enrolled in the course:
* Course objectives
* Contact information and preferred method of contact
* Times for live chat sessions and office hours
* Information as to how to attend chats and review the archives
* Policy for late assignments
* Policy for Discussion interaction (posting deadlines and number of required posts)
* Academic honesty policy
* Preferred formats for course assignments
* How to submit assignments
Theran,
These are all good areas. Some institutions have a standard set of expectations they include in all courses, but there are many times you can add your own to assist with the flow and communication in the course.
Herbert Brown III
