Detra Davis

This is so on point. "Some learners may find it difficult to develop informal relationships in an e-learning environment." I learned early in my career that students are timid and shy. If they do not want to engage, they won't and their academic progress can suffer if they are not following up with the instructor. I usually try to stay in touch via emails and messages. This sometimes helps, but there are times I've had students refuse to engage altoghter. This is when having a strong online support team comes in handy to support my efforts.

One of the reasons I enjoy engaging in discussion forums is it does allow students to be more "deliberate and detailed in composing their contributions." It's great when students decided to respectfully challenge what classmates say and take time to support their beliefs. It is joyous when the discussions go far beyond the due date because students have lots to share with their classmates.
This section reminds me that when engagement happens, don't interrupt, this is our (student and instructor) time to learn.

Building one-on-one relationships with your students, also builds trust and respect. This does energize the classroom and let's students know you are sincerely interested in their academic success. I know I have student's who have thought I was a bit of a "pest." I can share that after speaking to the students over the phone and sharing why I engage the way I do, they are often grateful. I might add by the end of the term, they understand the reminders and engagements paid off keeping them on task and earning the best grade possible. I understand the importance of… >>>

What have you learned from this module and how do you intend to apply it?

It is important to share with learners they will have to exercise a significant amount of mental effort while learning. I did not know how this impacts retention levels, or that here is a positive correlation based on the amount of mental effort experienced by students. I want students to know the importance and how meaningful online learning is.

This motivates me to want to share more challenging examples and scenarios so students can connect to the topic areas addressed in the course. I have… >>>