Being There
Adding an original posting to the forum helps them see you as "one of them" but also reminds them you are there as well.
Letting students know that you participate in the classroom and not just grade assignments and tests is crucial to the success of an online instructor. Many students feel that the instructor who participates in a discussion online is actually listening to what they are saying and cares about the way a student feels.This helps build trust between the student and instructor. Having that trust from the student is crucial for success in the classroom.
Christine,
Sometimes if the instructor posts a "sample" post so that the students can clearly understand the instructor's expectations you can head off misunderstanding and apprehension in being the first to post.
Herbert Brown III
Christine,
Sometimes if the instructor posts a "sample" post so that the students can clearly understand the instructor's expectations you can head off misunderstanding and apprehension in being the first to post.
Herbert Brown III
An original post from an instructor tends to break the ice a bit. As a student it can be hard to be the first to submit a post on a topic. It can be intimidating to some not knowing what the instructor is expecting. The instructor's post can provide some guidance, insight or just prompt the student to construct a significant post on the topic of discussion.
I agree, and I would add that today's students often prefer to text rather than talk on the phone, and see phone calls as too intimate and intrusive. I strongly encourage my students to text me any time (I simply mute my phone when I sleep so they don't wake me up at 2am!), and I reach out to them via email the first week of class, and several times throughout the semester. I've contemplated setting up a meet and great on campus, but so many of my students are out of state or even out of the country.
Nothing will take the place of good ole interaction, whether it's by phone or if at all possible face to face interaction.
I know that when I take an online class, if possible I try to stop by the instructor's office just to introduce myself and let the instructor know that I AM a real person and a face to go with my name and work.
I encourage my students to drop by during my office hours and do that same if at all possible.
The phone call is an awesome touch but as Herbert pointed out, not always feasible.
Lilia,
What if you have multiple courses and different students totaling 100 or more? Can a personalized welcome e-mail have the same effect?
Herbert Brown III
I believe that instructors should also call their students the first week of class to let them know that he/she are real.
William,
Are you referring to an original welcome post of just any post in any forum? The instructor definitely needs to stay connected in the online classroom and providing original posts as well as responding to student posts. The instructor can also keep a discussion going by adding additional thought provoking questions to the existing discussion to either continue the students' thought process OR move that thought process in another direction.
Herbert Brown III
