I try to head off problems at the pass by posting announcements and by emailing all students if a student brings up an issue that is likely to apply to others.
If I can't solve something by email, I'll call and if that doesn't solve it, I'll remote into the student's computer using a program such as Team Viewer for www.teamviever.com.
I try to be available without overdoing it so that I don't have students using me as a crutch.
Thanks for providing these helpful resources. I will give them a try :-)
I agree that we have to also have some off time and once a week seems like a reasonable standard. Do you tell this to students?
Responsiveness is the key, as you point out here. Students must know that you are there for them.
I agree with you. I communicate with students in a very respectful and personal manner and do not use titles to alienate myself from them. I try to be as approachable as possible.
I make sure to post frequent announcements providing hints, encouragement, and frequently asked questions. I have noticed that it helps to anticipate questions and be proactive.
One good strategy is to create a Q & A DB where students can ask and answer questions. This way students can find answers there rather than emailing me to ask them.
Peter,
This technique makes it more personalized and positive to start the assessment process. Thanks!
Donna,
I also try to call students by name to help them feel like they are a person and not just another number in a large online course. Keep it up!
Deborah and Donald,
Relaxed is good, but students must still be engaged in the learning process. Thanks for continuing the conversation.
When I grade I start my comments with their first name. Often I include “Greetings†and their name. I end my comments with a thank you and my name.
Deborah,
Thanks for the resources. It's good to have group leaders and "job" for group members to keep them on track. Thanks!
Sandra,
Being available and visible is important in establishing the learning community. I love using a screen capture program to help students see and more clearly understand the content. Nice job.
I respond to students by name and also make sure to respond to each student within the discussion. I also like to provide a lot of positive feedback and responses. Encouraging critical thinking and the exchange of ideas and views is also important to building a strong collaborative environment.
I agree Donald. Students heed to feel relaxed and feel they will not be treated badly by others for adding their points
I do 2 actions when I form teams in my class:
Activity 1:
I have the team try a card trick or a similar game: http://welearnsomething.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-can-you-learn-from-card-trick.html
Or have them try a memory experiment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4
I find having a group try something fun helps them form and begin communicating.
Activity 2:
I ask the small group to give me a team name.
With each activity I provide team formation information tailored to the group assignment. In addition, I have each team develop a contingency plan for different issues that could come up (such as “What are you going to do if a team member stops communicating?) and plan ahead of time (such as assign roles, etc.). I believe the key is to get the students in a small group to begin communicating and planning weeks before an assignment.
Last, I give students my class motto “be hard on the problem and soft on the people.â€
I am visible in the classroom regularly. On the discussion board, I post content and questions from learning materials and from the reading material. I share additional information on a weekly basis to help students with assignments.
I send emails at the start of class. If I notice a particular student issue or address a specific question, I send emails to share with all students. Usually if one student asks a question, others may have a similar question.
I attempt to connect the main course and lab material to help students make connections between the two.
In my lab courses, I actually share my screen during live chats to help students through the lab; as labs are fairly new to my university. I often share my screen in the main course if I identify a helpful website. During chats, I pause for questions to ask if clarification is required before I move through assignments.
I also post a “Get to know one another thread†to help students share information or life stories. This helps to foster student-to-student communication (outside of the regular discussion board.
Nizar,
Thanks for bringing this up. We do want to have open ended and probing questions to keep the students engaged and thinking more critically. Stories are a good way to get the conversation going. Nice job.
Hi Dr. Crews,
Creating open ended, and thought provoking questions seems to do the trick :-) So, I pose a question/scenario, and sit back and watch the students engage with each other, with my occasional input.
Another thing I noticed to create a good discussion are stories. I share a story of moral and ethical message, and the students love them. The stories are encouraging, and uplifting. I have choses stories from different internet sources, books, and ones that I created myself. Great discussion material :-)
Thomas,
Being present s great, but we have to make sure our students are present as well. That's why your technique of using probing questions is a good thing. Thanks!
