How to Communicate with Online Students
I find online students do not have the habit of reading instructor announcements and so have developed the practice of emailing all announcements as well as posting them on the course home page. Any suggestions for developing a habit of regularly checking announcements?
I agree that students are receptive to multiple forms of communication. It is very different then the past where students were expected to seek out information, now they expect to have information fed to them via every avenue.
Emily ,
That is a great strategy! You are also setting expectations of students which is so important.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hello Everyone,
The first thing that I do is send out an welcoming email in Week 1. Then I have students create an introductory biography in week 1 as well. I make sure to comment to each and every one of them. This sets a nice tone in the class and helps to build classroom community.
Emily
Tina,
Your strategy does work. I find I have to put messages in multiple places at multiple times. Although I do this, I also hold students to expectations and keep up with announcements is one of them. I do like you and refer to messages in emails rather than repeat them.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Stanley, I have had many conversations with colleagues about this very subject! The complaint is "nobody reads anymore" What I do is post the announcements,email that same announcement and announce the announcement in the chats. Also, when responding to a student query by email, and even when I provide grading feedback, I mention to them that "X" was discussed in live chat 2, and "Y was discussed at length in live chat 3, and that it was also posted in the class. It appears that the constant reminders is generating some activity and accountability from the students.
Steven,
You are on the right track. I find most faculty are frustrated with attendance of the Live Chats when there is no points or penalties involved for the students. I do think that students who "participate" in online events (reading or reacting). Don't students get participation points for interaction in a f2f course?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I agree, as I have also found that a significant number of students do not read either introductions, announcements and/or attend live chats. So, I try to create interesting eye catching announcements, those that my attract their interest as to hints for current weeks assignments success elements, and, I also offer extra points for attendance in Live Chats, which focus on the weeks materials and assignments. This seems to have been working lately, and the Live Chats are more 'lively" and participation through questions seems to increase.
Sabrina,
That is true! You have to make a routine, set expectations, and hold them to it. There is comfort and empowerment in routine; even online.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I must say that by the end of the second week of class students' make it a routine to check the course announcements and their emails.
S.Sanders
Sabrina,
Great strategies. It is so important to create routines of communication so students can depend on them because they will!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
On the first day of class and throughout the course, I post messages within my course announcements which are emailed to students’ personal email addresses. For instance, I will post a course announcement asking my students’ to check their Blackboard emails prior to preparing their assignments. Another example, I will post a course announcement asking students’ to check their weekly course grade which an email is sent to their personal email addresses. Each week, I email students’ in blackboard (email) to remind them to check my Instructor’s Availability schedule, learning labs schedule, and review the Academic Coaching tips within the course announcements. Sometimes students’ may experience a technical issue. So, I purposely post the Blackboard Technical support phone number within the course announcements so that students’ can review all of the course announcements.
S. Sanders
It is unfortunate but does work.:-)
Thanks for your response.
Christine,
You really need to find what is on their phone. I have used Remind101.com as a way to send them texts. My students like it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
That is a very good question, Stanley. I noticed that, too, during my first few months of teaching online classes. I sometimes send my announcements to their personal e-mails, as well, especially the important ones. They tend to check their personal e-mails more often than their school e-mail. In our university, we are required to hold a weekly Live Chat so I also mention important announcements there.
-Christine
Sandra,
Great strategies! You have to put information in multiple places to impress to students it importance. You also have to make students responsible for their actions or in-actions. I agree that 0 in the grade book is a eye catcher but it works!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I not only post announcements, but also send email reminders. I refer them to areas of the class forum that may contain additional, and perhaps, helpful information. For really important documents, such as the Unacceptable Website List, I attach them to the email.
I mention where documents are located during my Live Chat. I also tell them during the chat that I have sent email reminders.
I can tell when a student has not read email or Announcements if an unacceptable resource is used on their projects. I include information in an email and the gradebook about the location of the information (letting them know that an earlier email had been sent, an announcement has been posted, and where they can find the list in the classroom)
I do afford an opportunity for the student to repeat the assignment by removing the content and resource(s). A grade of "zero" usually gets attention very well. I rarely have a repeat offender after I regrade an assignment. I can tell that students review the Announcements more frequently when they actually use references that I provide for them on the Announcement Board.
Willie ,
You have a great strategy for communicating with students. You have consistency and repetition that is so important.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
One of things that I do is I mention the announcements in my live chat sessions. Using Adobe Connect is a great program in this regard because I can simply share my screen with my students. Another thing that I have done is after I posted the announcement, I have sent students an email suggesting that they read the posted announcement for some valuable information about the lesson for that week. Another thing I do is when I respond to students in the discussions, I usually remind them to read the posted announcement (again, to get that valuable information). I think that sometimes the problem is that students often times feel that they have enough to read, so, reading announcements becomes a chore. What I like to do in this instance is post short, sweet and simple announcements. :-)
Constantinos,
These are simple yet great way to ensure good communication. We all know what all caps mean! You need to also help students establish a routine regarding checking items. I always track their usage.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
