Aaron Husemann

Online Courses, just like F2F Courses will require Instructors to have conflict resolution skills to deal with issues that arise between students and, students and the instructor. Having a well thought Rubric and a Code of Conduct can allow the Instructor to refer the students back to when conflict arises and will help take the emotion out of the response. 

When interacting with students in an online course it is important for instructors to keep in mind that they are not dealing with a homogeneous group and that they will likely have students born in multiple Generations in their courses. This is important to keep in mind because each Generation has different traits and preferences, and will require the Instructor to interact with them in a unique manner. 

In an Online Course, effective communication will likely take many different forms, and it is important to maintain professionalism throughout the multiple means used. Instructors should not only model appropriate communication, but they should also provide a detailed Rubric that defines how students will be assessed, and what the consequences will be for inappropriate communication. 

Instructors should be prepared to use an end-of-course evaluation AND use this feedback to improve the course. If an end-of-course evaluation is requested, but the feedback is not used to improve student outcomes it is a waste of time for the instructor and students. 

Blogging can be used in a variety of ways, that align with traditional F2F Assessments. Blogging allows students to post their responses, get feedback from their peers and continue to interact in an Online Learning Community. 

Microblogging can be used by Instructors to engage students in an Online Learning Community. As with other methods of assessment and evaluation, it is important to include a Rubric to let students know what is expected and how they will be graded. 

When assessing Social Media interactions it is important to teach students what is expected, and the use of a Rubric can show students exactly what is being asked of them. 

Social Networking as part of an Online Course can help students connect with one another, the instructor, and the material in a way that allows them to become more than just an anonymous poster on the other side of a keyboard. 

Students are one of the three Key Stakeholders in an Online Course, and their Feedback and input should be taken into consideration when making revisions to the Online Course. 

Assessments are broken into two broad criteria, Formative and Summative. Students who are involved in self-assessment demonstrate higher learning outcomes and are likely to retain and be able to use what they learned better than their peers who were only provided with opportunities to be Assessed by their Instructor.