LaBoore and Nathna,
Thanks for continuing the conversation. We have all had the student that always blames someone/something else. But, if we have a clear cut rubric used for the assessment, there should be less blaming. ;-) Thanks!
James,
Setting those expectations and codes of conduct and making sure students understand them clearly is the first step. Nice job. Thanks for the tips.
Hi All,
I believe one needs to (1) set the expectation and then (2) communicate it.
Setting the class’ communication expectation includes developing netiquette guidelines, grading rubric and a code of conduct.
Pieces of this type then need to be communicated, especially at the beginning of the course. For example I post each as an announcement on the class home page. I then discuss each at the first class meeting. I then email them to all students over the first week (usually one per day).
It might seem like over-kill, but acclimating students to the expectations is the best foundation to building the online environment.
James.
Nathna, the feedback is one way of communicating with the student after the fact even though the student does not always appreciate or receive constructive criticism well. I recently had a student who felt athat there was no room for improvement of her papers and would blame the wording of the assignment rather than learn from my feed back and improve on her work.
The two items to consider when establishing a pattern of communication should be upfront and should factor the audience. When I speak to my students, I have to use different technology mediums than perhaps communicating with my colleagues. I even have to use different language to relate to some of my students. The reason why I say upfront is because it is not safe to assume that people understand the implied intention of your message. Instead, express it clearly and detailed enough so that your audience will understand.
Katrina,
No doubt that taking away the visual component of communication makes it more challenging. Hence we have to come up with other ways to make sure our communication is clear. Thanks!
Katrina,
It's kind of like they saying, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." We are the role model. Thanks!
Tomi,
And, there are times when they don't try to be rude, but that's the way it comes across. Thanks for your input.
Tomi,
You are right. We all have good days and bad days, but we have to always be communicating with students in a timely manner. Thanks!
Katrina,
Anything we can do to help alleviate or minimize misunderstandings is important. When we eliminate misunderstandings, we don't have to communicate as often and we can save time. Thanks.
Tomi,
Frequency is a key component of developing that pattern. And, the tone is set from the beginning. So true. Thanks!
Chander,
Great - you have added another "C" word to the conversation - Clarity. Consistency and clarity are excellent components. Thanks!
Wayne ,
Excellent. I agree that instructors should provide the rules for communication so that students understand when and how to communicate. This adds to the consistency. Thanks!
Troy,
Yes, I just responded to another posting about consistency and patter, but, you're right - timeliness is also essential. A 24-48 hour rule is a common thing. Thanks! Keep it up.
ROBERT,
The terms consistency and pattern do certainly go together. When we establish that pattern students benefit from knowing how and when we will communicate as well. Thanks!
The lack of non-verbal messages is a real challenge as such a large part of our communication is non-verbal. Webcam is not an option in some cases as students do not always have the Internet speed required.
I agree that leading by example is very important. We are role models as instructors and our students learn from our communications.
I think that it is easy for people to be rude in a written message. It is much harder to be rude face to face. Sometimes I feel that our students communicate the way they do as they do not have to talk to us face to face.
Consistency is very important. We all have our ups and downs and in some days do not feel as upbeat than others. However, our communication should always be consistent and friendly.
In my view, communication must be clear and written in a manner that minimizes misunderstandings. It has to be written using appropriate tone.
Communication should be frequent so that the student is able to feel that the instructor is an active participant of his or her learning process.
