Whenever I communicate with students, I address them by their name. I do the same with discussions and feedback as this ensures mutual respect. Students in the online environment need to feel connected and respected by their instructor.
Stephen,
Keep up the good work. WE all have to work on collaborative projects in the "real world" so students should be expected to do so as well. Nice job.
I have definitely had to put a good bit of structure in to this medium. Many students reserve their best efforts for solo assignments and tend to take a back seat in group efforts. I have to battle this every block. I think it takes some well-considered communication between myself and students to be sure to help their understanding of the value in collaborative projects.
Cheers,
Steve
Jocelyn,
The sharing of information allows for the beginning of the development of a learning community. We are all in a community of learners as our students learn from us and their peers and we learn from them. Nice job.
I always start off a course with the students sharing a bit about themselves. I provide a fun biography about myself and encourage them to do the same. I also create a discussion board for off-topic discussions.
On the graded boards I always use the student's name and encourage what they have done. I encourage greater participation by asking questions usually in a sandwich approach as to avoid a negative feeling.
Jocelyn Williamson
Victoria,
We all learn from each other. Collaboration can help students learn from different generations, different cultures, etc. They may not like working in teams a lot, but if they open their mind to the process, they will learn more. Thanks!
I think that allowing opportunities for collaboration whereby the students direct the learning process does a lot to ensure the instructors is not the only one running the show. For example, collaborative group work. It may require time up front explaining expectations, modeling best practices and defining roles.Once students orient themselves to the process, it shifts the learning process to the students and has them direct their learning and therefore removing the instructor as the key player which inevitably leaves the instructor with more work.
samia and Michael,
Thanks for continuing the conversation. I like the thought of a "real world topic bucket." ;-) Nice job.
samia,
We all like to be recognized by our name and feel like we are a part of the group. Connecting the content to real world experiences or examples helps students learn to transfer their knowledge or skill to the work world. Thanks for your input.
Michael, nicely shared!
I have found out that reality checks in both my health care and marketing management classes creates excitement. Luckilly, there is a lot of daly fodder out there to keep the real world topic bucket full.
Samia
Addressing learners by name is definitely one of the basic collaboration strategies; tying in real world experiences to the theory on hand brings in a reality check and excitement to the class; and for me addressing questions to a pool of learners creates dialog.
Flora,
Open-ended questions can take discussion forums to a deeper level and stir up the collaboration even more. Nice job.
My discussion forums are the best way I've found to create a collaborative environment for my students to learn from each other. By opening up discussion topics with open-ended questions and responding to students with questions that can further the discussion, students can share their experiences and learn from each other.
Antonio,
Sounds like you have a system that is reducing email overload and helping students chat during the week. Sounds like a plan. Thanks for sharing.
The classroom are setup with a specific subject, per week as expected. I make a point to add several related subjects, in order to maximize chat during the week. I do not release them immediately, but constantly feed the room. Sometimes, it could be once a day or if need to, several in one day.
Ed,
Referring to students by name helps develop that community in your classroom. Students feel like a person instead of a number. Good job.
I also respond to students by name. In addition to having standard canned responses, individualized responses are also provided to induce interaction.
Christina,
I too like to include some synchronous components to the online environment. I think the students feel more like a "person" (as they are!) and less like a number. This is especially true in my large online courses. Any chance I get to teach a blended course, I do. I like that F2F component as well as the online component. Thanks for your input.
While all the online schools I have worked for have very specific requirements for responding to students, I find that creating as close to a synchronus environment as possible encourages collaboration. Live Chats, group discussion topics, and chat forums aid in giving students a sense of togetherness.
These can be time consuming for an instructor however. To help students learn the rules for interacting with each other on the discussion board (no caps, proper spelling, professional behavior) I create a Power Point with audio. This requires initial prep time at first but it can be uploaded to every course and both the visual and vocal instructions can be very useful for students. It can give them a sense of being "in class" and help them remember the course expectations.
Conni,
We all have our own communication rules. If these work for you - great. Timely, consistent communication is the key so we can develop a communication pattern. Thanks!
