Tanya,
Feedback to the students is so essential. Making sure it's timely and provides information to help the students improve, is essential. Thanks for your input on this forum.
Linda,
Right on! When the students know what is expected of them and when the instructor models good communication as well, its makes it easier for the students to follow the standards for civility and online etiquette. I like your question as well - What would be the point of communication guidelines if the students were not held accountable for their actions? That's so true. Nice job.
QUESTION: When establishing a pattern of communication, what do you believe are the two most important things to consider and why?
I believe the two most important things to consider are: 1) Student Expectations wherein students are given a list or an overview of what is expected relative to such areas as their participation level and assignments; and 2) Faculty Expectations in terms of what students can expect from the instructor in the classroom relative to grading, discussions, as well as assistance and guidance when needed.
When I establish a "pattern of communication," two important things would be the feedback that I provide the students and the examples/explanations that I provide in order for students to understand what is expected.
We, as instructors, should clearly communicate our expectations in the course. If the students do not understand the assignment or the course materials, we must explain carefully in order for them to correctly perform the assignment. Also, we need to provide detailed feedback and communicate to the students what areas could use improvement as well as the areas in which they excelled.
Brian,
Yes. Being timely in your communication and modeling a professional, positive tone is important. Keep the communication going!
I think setting the standards for civilty and online etiquette is important to establishing a pattern of communication because students need to know what kind of communication is appropriate, expected and acceptable from students participating in online course. Also, students need to know what kind of communication is unappropriate and unacceptable and the consequences that will occur if the communication guidelines are not followed.
The second itemmost important item is the responsibility of the instructor to provide all the information to the students and model appropriate online behavior as well as demonstrate leadership and authority when students are not following the rules. What would be the point of communication guidelines if students were not held accountable for their actions? The instructor needs monitor the online communication and step in when the rules are violated.
I believe tone and time are the most important. Tone relating both to being positive as well as politeness and time referring to an appropriate amount of tim to better enable communication.
LE,
Keeping in mind that the instructor is the role model for all students is important. I stress professional communication in email, chats, etc. And, I agree it is OK to have some fun, but it's important to help students where to draw the line. Nice job. Keep up the great work.
When establishing a pattern of communication I try to focus on the professional aspects of communication (I teach business classes). So, there are a few key items, but the top two are:
1. Professional Image: Once you post a message or send an email you lose control of the message. It may be sent anywhere or forwarded to anyone at any time. So, I encourage students to be professional and concise (not stuffy... its OK to have some fun).
2. Timeliness: Late responses to an online discussion are not accepted. You cannot contribute anything of substance to a discussion that ended last week.
Cheryl,
Communication is key and can be accomplished through many means. Know that your syllabus is also a communication tool. Keep it up!
The most important thing to consider when establishing a pattern of communication is that it needs to be ongoing. Students should feel that there is a steady stream of communication throughout the course - through email, discussion boards, and live chats. Another important consideration is support, which is very important in the online learning environment. With no face-to-face contact, students need to know that the instructor is approachable and available at all times.
Noreen,
The guidelines are important whether teaching online or F2F. When students understand the expectations and develop respect for each other and the instructor, the class runs more smoothly. Thank you.
I donot teach classroom,but i believe in having guidelines-- expectations and respect for both instructor and students.
Paula,
I'm in agreement. Settting the expectations so that all students understand what is required/expected is essential. Instructors and students should serve as role models for each other, but you're right, the instructor should take the lead. Nice job.
In my experience as an online instructor two important things to consider are:
1) Setting expectations, guidelines and consequences - Instructors need to establish rules and guidelines regarding submitting work required for the course. Expectations and guidelines would include netiquette, essay submission (formatting, proofreading, style, etc), content of replies, due dates and deadlines, extension requests, discussion participation, etc. The consequences need to be communicated to the student so he/she is aware of actions that will be taken if these rules and guidelines are not followed.
2) Setting an example - Instructors also need to be held accountable to the guidelines that are applicable to them meaning that they also need to have good netiquette, they need to adhere to due dates set forth by their employer (grading due dates and replying to emails), participating in discussions, etc. They have be be a leader and they need to set an example otherwise the student may lose all respect for the rules (regardless of the consequences). They may feel that they can get away with it "just like the instructor did".
Mary,
Yes, condidering the audience it important. Each class is composed of different students and communicating in a variety of ways is important. Rubrics, establishing the expectations and communication are key elements to success. Thank you.
Tipton,
Establishing the norms/expectations and using rubrics helps tremendously. These things benefit the students and the instructor.
When establishing a pattern of communication, the two most important things to consider are the effectiveness of the communication (considering the audience) and setting the expectation.
No two groups of students are exactly alike. Often times there are similarities but everyone learns differently. So with communication, we must respect that everyone learns differently and ensure that the patterns of communication we chose for that particular moment are effective for the audience.
Setting the expectation is similar to consistency but also involves letting the audience know what you as the instructor expect from the student. When the student knows how to perform (what the rubric is, what "good" should look like, expectation, etc.) then typically the student will conform and perform.
In our course upfront we establish communication norms and expectations. This is done through rubrics and during course expectations. We also lay the groundwork and rules for student participation.
Joseph,
The "C" words are most important.
Consistent, clear, communication, clarification, etc.
Being timely is at time difficult. I explain to my students that 24 hours is "immediate" to me.
Thanks for your input.
