Without being overly intrusive, how can an instructor encourage class participation in a small class?

Online students are usually working adults, who have families. They are busy and their time is usually consumed in working and family activities. Having a positive relationship with students is important, but how can instructors motivate these students to effectively manage their time in order to complete weekly assignments?

Retention is essential if not for your institution but also for the studnet that had high hopes and for some reason fell short of those goals.

Robin Jonas

Has anyone been able to create their own game and use it in the online learning environment?

I don't think I have the time to invest in creating a game since I online teach part-time and work a full time job as well.

Does anyone have any advice for handling students who are "Night Owls"?  I have several students who fit this category and they always seem to post late and want immediate answers!

It is very important to keep up with the newest and coolest technolgy because digital natives speak that language and anything else is foreign to them. I can't wait for Facebook to come out with their take on virtual realtiy. Now that will be really cool!

Best Regards,

Penelope A. Kerr

what prerequisites should students expect to take to be able to create media for a class?

I have completed this course!  I am incorporating the steps outlined when interacting with online learners, communicating coursework/assignments and providing feedback.  Simply addressing a student by name, then asking how he/she is doing is an excellent approach to getting a response.  Also, this course provided great insight regarding the importance of the "Working Alliance," this positive working relationships is how we gain and maintain the trust, rapport  and mutual agreement with our students.  

Blogs may further immerse the students in the content by providing what?

Recognizing generational differences is an important part of the communication cycle as is recognizing if someone is an introvert or extrovert. Should online Universities develop a software tool that would be used in the early on boarding of students that would serve as a personality type indicator (similar to Meyers Briggs but with the addition of generational differences in the use and attitude toward technology) ?     Then with your generational attitudes and other personality traits identified , map you to a list of critical success factors you will be responsible for while progressing through the online courses.  I would guess that there will be a core set of CSFs that are similar to all types while there will be unique CSF's that will develop based on your generation and personality.  

What are your thoughts?  Could this be a new research area in behavioral psychology and communication?  Would it help to elevate the success rate of students completing online degrees?  Would it enhance the teaching and student experience in the online environment?    

In the training we learned that a communication code of conduct should be established and I would of course agree. However it has been my experience that students do not read lengthy rants of text.   I would propose that short bulleted codes of conduct would be more effective than a long disertation on right and wrong.   Do you agree or should I look at this from a different perspective?

I always find that it is frustrating that so many students don't utilize the power points or websites provided to help them with the coursework. So many of the answers and important learning information is provided in these lectures, but many students would rather just Google the information and not get the full theory behind the subject. Does any one else have problems like this or see this as a recurring issue?

Does anyone think that requiring students to have some sort of contact with instructors on line is a good idea? Could this be integrated into grading and be presented as a graded part of the class?

I think twitter and other microblogging tools are an effective way to supplement online learning.  I do worry (based on observations over the past few years) about students use of grammar, sentence structure, spelling, etc.  While I see an increase in technology savy among students, I also see a sharp decline in communicating effectively and correctly. I believe we need to focus on both, which can be a tricky task....

Hi All,

one struggle I've encountered online is giving effective feedback to students on work without seeming overly critical. Many online instructors shy away from detailed feedback in their courses which makes my job more difficult because students don't expect the amount of feedback I give.  In fact, I give the same amount in on ground classes, but students then have the opportunity to ask me face to face about my comments and we have an established relationship which is positive.  How can I achieve this online?  How can I encourage other instructors to give detailed feedback as well?

What suggestions do you have for creating a positive campus culture in an exclusively online college? We have poor retention and are trying to determine how we can improve retention.

Has anyone used twitter as an activity in their classrooms?

I have not used twitter, but I think it would be cool. I know students enjoy social media a lot, but they may not enjoy them all. For example, we now have facebook, tumblr, instagram, vine, linkedin, and etc. So many to choose from, however I do think twitter may be worth the try. If you have tried twitter, I'd love to hear what strategies you have employed and how your students felt about it.

Thanks

This has been a wonderful learning experience.

What I like are examples of different statements and best practices to improve

retention.

I never like losing a student because of the disappointment they must feel.

How do you attempt to improve retention in your online courses?

Dr. Albert

I find the course helpful.

The most important factor is that teaching online allows for diversity of the students backgrounds. In the online environment faculty deal with students with some life experiences under their belt and they love to bring those out with a little encouragement from me. Hearing those students share that is invaluable in validating the material we are covering.

Besides the diversity of the students backgrounds, There is maturity. Teaching college students is ideal because their maturity allows them to desire information that exceeds the classroom. I realize that my students will soon be colleagues in the field and expect them to interact at a very professional level. I lead by example in this regard and expect much of them when they are in attendance with me at conferences or other professional engagements. Some of the most rewarding moments come at the end of an academic term when students send personal and unsolicited emails about how they were impacted personally. It is these moments that I am reminded about why I teach and the impact that we as academics can have on students.