Hello Tina,
Thank you for the tip. I don't discuss my teaching style in the expectations document. However, I do make myself available to them.
I find that clear policies help the learner understand the expectations and also give a clear picture of how to be successful as well. Good policies on late work, plagiarism, office hours, communication, assessment due dates, grading rubrics are all very helpful. Also, I like to post a welcome letter to introduce myself, talk about my background, and how online learning can be fun but yet demanding.
My goals include making the students feel welcome, that I am there as a sounding board, that student interaction will make their experience more meaningful, and they are expected to keep in touch. I remind them that I am not a mind reader and will only know if they are struggling if they tell me. I let them know that I want to set them up to succeed but they are responsible to complete the work.
I am new to the online teaching arena, however, some of my on campus students that are also taking on line classes, have stated that faculty expectation should include:
1.) System requirements for the class (XP, MS7, Office 2010...)
2.) Anticipated time of reply from a students query.
3.) Any ancillary books that maybe required, before the end of the term.
4.) Instructor profile and knowledge of material being taught.
5.) Clear precise deadlines with timezones accounted for as well as any extensions in case system shutdown.
As I embark into my first cyber class, I hope to apply the information from those that have taught as well as taken online classes before me.
Hi Kelly, these are excellent things to include in your faculty expectation. Also consider other expectations that learners may have that may be inaccurate and make sure that you state them specifically. For instance, learners may have expectations for how often you will engage in online discussions, how fast assignments will be returned, how often they have to participate in the course, how fast you will respond to emails, etc. If unmet, they can become dissatisfied, so it's important to state at the beginning of the course what they can expect. Tina
Hi Angela, I think you have a good list of items that need to be included in your faculty expectation statement. I also recommend that you describe your teaching style and how you will engage with learners, so they understand what they can expect from you in terms of interactions in activities. Tina
Hi Tina, I am currently an online instructor for a university in Colorado. They have a specific "Course Expectations" letter template for each class I teach, which makes it reasonable universal for the students who take a series of courses at the university. Instructors are permitted to make some additions to the letter; however, late policy are requested to be kept with certain guidelines (so that students are not blindsided by one particularly stringent instructor (say, they don't accept any late papers--This would be objected to by their faculty advisor.) We have: coursework requirements: APA, font style and formatting; academic honesty stipulations; academic research guidelines; Discussion Board guidelines; research guidelines (no Wikileak or Wicopedia); and protocols for appealing grades. I appreciate the fact that this is a universal statement among all faculty and students.
Hi Rebecca, we use a standard template at our institution too, which has evolved over time based on misunderstandings that have been reported by faculty. Tina
Great suggestions. That is a good point and something I will incorporate. I like students to know what to expect and also I like to know what they expect from me.
I think 24 - 48 hours is good turn around time. Twenty-four is ideal otherwise students get paranoid and worry but 48 is sometimes needed for some issues.
Hi Angela, we have a 24 hour turn around time. It is difficult for learners to carve out time to engage in course activities, so we try to respond as quickly as possible, so they can get their questions answered. Tina
Those expectation statements should include what can be expected of the faculty member as well as what is expected of the student. Not everything is the responsibility of the faculty member, but clearly drawing those lines at the beginning of the course makes the rest of the class go more smoothly.
Kristin
Tina, I lay out my expectations in our first chat session. I explain the course policies and procedures, how I enforce the rules and why these rules are important.
This would include a discussion of late work, plagiarism, and so on.
When students know upfront what the expectations are they tend to abide by the policies and are afforded the opportunity to ask questions too, in real time.
I agree Kristin. What are some of the expectations you would include for faculty and students? Tina
I think it is very important for the instructor to set the mood for the class. Let the students know they are supported and create a good online learning environment.
I feel letting students know these expectations very explicitly is important right from the beginning.
I send out an email to each student listing expectations like reading and understanding the syllabus, deadlines and penalties for late submission, approximate time required each week for this class, question anything that is not clear. In a forum I also ask them to write what they expect to gain from my class and me.
Hi Emily, are there specific expectations that you feel are important to set at the beginning of the course? Tina
Hi Elizabeth, these are expectations. I also include information on how I will participate in the course discussions and specific expectations for how many days they need to be in the oourse each week, the number of interactions they need to have in discussions with other learners and when they have to post their initial discussions to be able to extend the dialog. Tina
I set clear expectations for my students telling them exactly what I expect from them.
1. I set out the grading policies and let my students know that they will be graded by the rubrics under the instructor files and the rubrics that are emailed to them at the start of class.
2. I inform my students that I will reply to all their emails within 24 hours. I go through all of the expectations in our first live chat and use video camera so that students get to see me as we go through all the expectations as I think it is more personal.
3. I go through all the policies. I discuss APA format and have help sheets for students under the instructor files.
4. We cover some of the system requirements as well as the book and tools that are needed to be successful in the class.
5. I clearly set out the deadline in relation to central time and also give those times in other time zones as well so that students are very clear on the deadlines.
6. During the live chats I also go through what I expect for each assignment so that students know what they need to do in order to get a good grade. I give examples of what is needed and what is regarded as scholar resources and give a list of good creditable websites that can be helpful in their research.
Aisling Kane
Hi Aisling, you have done an excellent job of setting expectations for your students! Tina
