The best times to present the information is the number one for me. I would not want to post how to do an assignment on the day it is due, because most likely students will not see it in time. I want students to have plenty of time with the information to give them so they will have the best chance for success. I would pick a day to post information that is a lease three days in advance of due days and post it on the some day every time. Of course there are other reasons for communication. I am just using this one as an example. The second would be where I post the information. I would want to have a main announcement board that can be found easily and to always post information for the whole class in an obvious location.
Alison,
Good priorities. We have to know who we are teaching and how to best deliver the content to that audience. Nice job and thanks for sharing.
As an online instructor the two most important things to consider is my audience and the delivery of my communications. These are my priorities for my online classes.
Bruce,
Tone is so important. Students and instructors should both be careful with their tone. Thanks for your input.
Consistency of the message and using a good "written" tone of voice. Since this is non verbal communication we need to know when our communication sounds abusive or snarky.
Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for your input. Tone has an impact on behavior and developing a productive environment. Nice job.
Perry ,
Clarity is essential. With this comes more effective communication and comprehension of the content. Thanks for sharing.
Perry and Steven,
You bring up some very good points. It's nice when we realize others have the same experiences or feelings that we do. Thank you both.
Perry ,
The tone is so important when it comes to effective communication with others. This does help engage students and keep them interested in the content being discussed. Nice job.
Cynthia,
The "C" words are so important - clarity, consistency, correct, concise, etc. These are effective in providing information to students and communicating effectively. You are right on with how overload of information may not be beneficial to the students. Lengthy handouts can be distracting and never get read. Thanks for your input.
Darcel,
Thanks for sharing your experiences and discussing the balance of respect. This is key in the online learning environment. Thank you.
Carolyne,
Right on. Love your thoughts on this subject. Evaluation and feedback cna help establish the respect aspect.
Cynthia,
Keep working with their grammar, capitalization and punctuation and develop a rubric to show them how they will lose points. This may deter them ignoring the fact that they need to pay attention to such details.
Hello Tena,
I think the two most important things to establish when communicating are establishing guidelines and being consistant.
When you establish guidelines you set the tone for the students by letting them know what is expected of them and what they should expect of you. Here you can set rules for behavior as well as give them a format for how things will run with assignments, discussions, etc.
In this way the instructor can become a mentor and model for the student to create a productive environment that is conducive to learning.
Elizabeth
Two most important things to consider when establishing a pattern of communication are:
1. Respect for those who participate in the communication, which includes students and instructor. How would you want to be treated?
2. Evaluation and feedback. Students need to know how to improve their communication through constructive criticism via feedback and by instructor example.
Greetings!
When establishing a pattern of communication, I believe the two most important things to consider and why are:
1. Professionalism to be certain my tone in communication is proper and reflects the ethics of the policies in the course because I model the behavior online expected from students.
2. Routine so that students know what to expect and how, which fosters community and builds a clear presence in the course. Students may become encouraged and more engaged than normal. Retention of students can elevate as a result and be frequent to illustrate interest and engagement.
Thank you for asking!
Sincerely, Perry Spann
Elizabeth,
I agree and appreciated your notation. I think being consistent aligns with being timely. Students like promote communication because it illustrates engagement and attention. I think clarity is certainly a requirement for effectual comprehension of the content!
Sincerely, Perry Spann
Steven,
I concur and valued reading your comments! I like being an example in my communication pattern with students when posting in discussion board forums or emailing or submitted in announcements. I could relate to your reply because when we model the expectations, we create community with clarity for students, so that they understand what to expect regarding:
Content
Tone
Diction
Organization
Thank you for sharing your reply.
Sincerely, Perry Spann
Joel & Marie,
I have had problems with some students ignoring the rules of grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. Their discussions are graded in these areas, so I remind them that up to 15 percent of their grade focuses on evaluation of effective communication.
Cynthia
Dr. Crews and all:
I believe that consistency and clarity are two important areas to consider when creating patterns of communication. When preparing communication guidelines, process/assignment expectations, and grading feedback, it is important to present ideas in a consistent manner each week. I use the same font, colors, and labels in all supplemental handouts, live chat notes, and communication guidelines. I create templates to use from class to class so everything remains consistent.
All communication handouts are checked carefully for clarity and conciseness of ideas. Students do not like to read pages and pages of directions. Thus, over the years, I have learned to be as concise as possible (using numbered or bullet lists rather than detailed paragraphs). I am careful to include outside online resources' links with brief annotations of the resources on the last page of handouts. These are labeled carefully (i.e. thesis development, body paragraphs, integrating evidence, apply correct citations, etc).
I have learned that a 5-8 page handout can be overwhelming to students. Thus, creating templates is the best way to avoid being inconsistent and unclear in expectations.
Cynthia
