<h3>&nbsp;</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ol> <li><span>Start Communicating Early &amp; Use Visual Tools.</span>&nbsp; Provide your biography along with a picture of yourself before classes get started; this will help the students put a face to a name and get to know you a bit. You may also opt to create a personal video or audio so students may actually &ldquo;see&rdquo; you. This is an excellent way to get the ball running, begin bonding with your students, and have everyone &ldquo;excited&rdquo; to start the process of learning.</li> <li><span>Offer Students Multiple Ways of Contacting Instructors&nbsp;</span>Whether via messages (LMS messages function), email, text, or phone call,&nbsp; make sure that you share your preferred method of communication with your students. I always use LMS messages as they provide permanent records of communications. You may provide students with your cell phone number if that is within university/college guidelines. If privacy is a concern, several applications are available through&nbsp;<a class="hooked" href="https://voice.google.com/u/0/signup" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-internal="false">Google Voice</a>&nbsp;that would create free secondary phone number(s).</li> <li><span>Available &amp; Respond in a Timely Manner</span>.&nbsp; Online classes are attractive to all students and specifically to adult students who usually have full-time jobs with heavy work schedules, sometimes even in different time zones. Consider offering student office hours either virtually or at non-traditional times to better accommodate students with job or family obligations. Providing online students with immediate feedback and being highly visible will improve the online experience for learners.</li> </ol>