Rubrics quantify subjective activities. They also present activities in a clearly defined manner so that there is little question about expectations or evaluation.

Just the tools have! Understanding generational differences is just a part of understanding the students you are working with. How they interact, are motivated, and skills depend on their past experiences. Those experiences are influenced by when they were born and the environment (time period) they grew up in.

The two most important aspects to creating a positive pattern of communication are timely responses and modeling. Communication must be timely to be effective. Students and instructors get frustrated when communication is delayed. Modeling is an effective way to show students what the expected behavior is, rather than a list of rules.

1. What are you trying to achieve? Synchronous or Asynchronous tools will provide different results. The first question to ask is what goals/outcomes are you trying to meet with the tool. 2. Evaluate the tool after a short time for effectiveness. Did the tool meet the goal? If not, why? 3.Ask your audience. Survey students and discuss what they liked, disliked, and any limitations of the tool

How can games and simulations reward the brain? Also, how can a game or simulation provoke positive emotions?

What have been your personal drawbacks with using a blog in a class

What will follow twitter with regards to microblogging

List them

When does one become over entrenched in using social media with regards to the learning environment?

I will share two of my best practices. My first best practice has been to develop check lists. I commonly use a checklist at the beginning of the week in the initial weekly announcement to outline (and remind) what assignments are due that week. Secondly, on the more involved assignments I will include a checklist with reminders they should complete before they submit their final assignment. My second best practice is to post additional announcements and reminders on the discussion board about common mistakes or confusions that week. The things that I post generally come from my past experience in the course. Perhaps students historically demonstrate difficulty with a certain type of problem on their homework. Then I will post some additional resources and clarifications on this. They can then look at the material at their own speed and leisure. Best, Brian Stout

Rubrics are wonderful for various reasons. Not only does the rubric help the students to focus on what is needed in their written responses, it helps the instructor focus on how to help the students learn and develop. This helps the instructor focus on problem areas, and work with each student in those problem areas so that the student can communicate in a more efficient manner. Rubrics allow for consistency and equity in grading, which again, helps the instructor to have focus. This will also help the students remain on task. Finally, this helps the instructor manage time in the grading process so that tight deadlines are met in the class. Most institutions need grades to be posted within a certain time frame, and students are normally eager to know sooner than later how well they performed.

I honestly did not notice such a gap in the communication skills (input and output) until I began the journey of teaching online. Since the online environment consists primarily of written communication, I quickly learned that every student does not respond well to same method of communication. While this is true, I cannot bend to ineffective or "inappropriate" communication (i.e. "texting" language in an essay question). Every instructor must reach a happy medium wherein class announcements (e-mails or postings) are communicated effectively (i.e. appropriate and acceptable grammar, clear, and concise); however, the instructor can also cover any potential communication issues in private e-mails so that specific issues can be addressed without embarrassing any student while keeping everyone on the same page.

In what ways does your institution promote strong working alliances between students and institutional personnel?

How would you characterize the campus climate at your institution and what impact does this have on students and institutional personnel?

How can one’s understanding of the unique demographic characteristics of online students help with improving service to these students?

What are your perceptions, assumptions, and biases of online learning and campus-based learning and how have they changed (if at all) in response to the information contained in this module?

How have you personally experienced the way in which technology-mediated communication can influence how messages are conveyed and interpreted?

In what ways have you experienced or observed the online disinhibition effect in online communication?

Considering what you have learned in this course, how will you begin implementing techniques that can enhance your ability to connect and engage online learners?

If someone argued that communicating with online learners is no different than communicating with their campus-based counterparts, how would you respond?