Lynn Dwyer

As in all things, communication is key to success.  Giving students positive and appropriate feedback as well as offering private assistance will help ensure their commitment to complete their assigned tasks.  

The most important aspect of online learning is the same as classroom learning.  An instructor has to determine what category a student is in for their learning/participation style and adapt to that student in order to efficiently deliver the content.  Some students thrive on synchronous 'chats' while others will wait patiently for asynchronous feedback.  Both styles work quite well and a good online instructor will quickly determine how and when to use each.

I did my Masters in Nursing Education completely online and most of my professors followed the guidelines discussed in this module.  Despite not being face-to-face, I felt welcome, acknowledged, and that my contributions to the class were appreciated.  This module verifies for me that the essentials of online education were followed.  The information provided here gives me the impetus to put things in place for my current students to make them feel welcome and appreciated.  

I found the information useful, particularly as public schools across the nation are having to move to online instruction.  One concern in my school, considering our particular demographics, is the availability of technology for students.