Robert,
All very true. We sometimes leave out the relevance, even when the details are clear. Good point.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I have found that posting the course expectations with what my expectations/deliverable will be as their faculty/instructor. Creates a contract "so to speak" allowing the student/instructor to see both sides of what is expected.
Good day,
What I feel are important elements of a faculty expectations statement that can help set the appropriate expectations for learners in your online course are to detail the importance of reading the syllabus, course announcements, and instructor policies or additional files added in classes each week.
The statement is an important tool to emphasize course data that may be overlooked initially by students. I think the statement should include a reminder of how important timely course participation will be and why.I also support the statement having clarity about where students can locate examples of what is expected for assignments in the additional policies and files available in the course.
Reiterating the syllabus guidelines is also a good idea in the statement to advocate clearness about what is expected of all students, fairly and ethically, in the course. Noting the value of not plagiarizing could also be beneficial.
The statement can include but not be limited to the following as important for students to read and clearly examine:
Course Greeting or Welcome
Syllabus
Assignment Guidelines
Assignment Examples
Code of Conduct or Etiquette
Supplemental Course Files
Instructional Policies
Discussion Board Criteria
Plagiarism Guidelines
Academic Sources
Library Information
Thank you, Perry Spann
Clarity of requirements including dates and deadlines; self introductions to enhance virtual 'familiarity'; prompt and substantive feedback; and Socratic dialogue.
Robert, you are quite correct on the need for clarity to avoid misunderstanding. I would like to further add the need for simplicity and focus in any relevant communication.
Thank you for sharing your views on expectations.
The expectations document should cover all the major/important items not contained in the syllabus. Items such as late policies, research criteria/expectations, writing expectations, etc., all should be in the expectations document. It should clearly define penalties, additional policies set by the faculty, etc. With this in place the student has understanding of what is expected, etc.
I think that the expectations announcement should make several things explicitly clear to the students. Some of these are:
1) How soon students can expect responses to their questions from the instructor;
2) How soon after submission, students can expect grades to be posted;
3) The general late policy;
4) How often studens can expect to see instructor presence in the classroom (discussions etc.);
5) Office hourse.
Kimberly ,
Very good. This is a straightforward and proactive solution. Thank you.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Perry ,
Vell defined and comprehensive. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Samia,
Well stated and academically sound. Very nice.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
David,
This is an very good explanation. Thank you.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
James,
These are all excellent proactive measures. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Hi All,
While I think there are some basics that all faculty expectation statements/documents might include, I always like to end mine, which I distribute in week one of every course, with a strong emphasis on time management. A large part of online learning is self-guided and this requires an extra effort on the part of online students. If they are not initiated to the online learning experience, they may not expect this. In fact, they may believe that online learning will be easier or less demanding than an on-ground experience. I like to highlight time management as the key to their online learning success. It’s not just about setting aside enough time to complete the required coursework, but about thinking ahead, and scheduling their time so that learning isn’t just a goal or a task, it is something their lives are setup to complete.
James.
James,
This is a terrific recommendation. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Sandy,
I use a similar outline for my course expectations, but to encourage my students to develop better assignment responses, I describe my grading system. I use a baseline system which allows the addition of extra points--up to the assignment maximum--for extra properly cited research, extra meaningful comments, or a very well developed response.
Bob
Amanda,
I agree, announcements need to be left open. Some may expire, e.g., an issue available only at a certain date, but knowing they existed may be helpful to the student. I also send personal email to all students reiterating the most important announcements and discuss each in the live chats.
Bob
Dr. Vaillancourt,
I ask my students to access the virtual campus (VC)every other day during the week to read email and announcements. I have seen many students who access the VC only on weekends when completing assignments. Our school has recently upgraded its policy requiring students to be more active on the DB. Fortunately, that policy has made more students access the VC in mid-week as well as the week-end. I hold my live chats early in the week--Mondays and Tuesdays--to allow students the most time to complete assignments with all the information I provide. I upload Power Point and Word lecture files and post assignment-specific announcements for every module in the course and use this information during the chats. Each Friday, I send email to each student reminding them of the announcements and lecture files to review for each assignment.
I see we are both Nova alumni. Go Sharks.
Bob, DBA '02
Hi Bob,
Glad to chat with an alum. Your process seems very thorough and comprhensive. Excellent summation. Thank you for sharing your expertise. David, ITDE '04
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Alan, I had the same concern the facilitator had in reference to whether or not students actually review the announcements. Do you normally receive feedback or comments from your announcements? Also, I particular like how you quoted the gold standard for grading. The gold standard for grading is Bloom's Taxonomy. It has levels of learning from memorization (F, or D grade), to understanding of the material in a narrow context (C grade), to the ability to apply the material to a broader context (B), to the ability to apply the material to a new context (A), When you internalize the material and then put more of your unique spin on it, and less in the way of direct quotes, then I have a higher confidence that you have gone beyond the memorization or parroting phase of Bloom's Taxonomy. Thanks for sharing and have you found this to be helpful to students and how?
What do you feel are important elements of a faculty expectations statement that can help set the appropriate expectations for learners in your online course?
Personally I feel that it is important for faculty members to show confidence and relaxation to students. We must let students that we are not afraid and we have the knowledge to deliver. We must also know and show our own belief about our effectiveness. We must bring and demonstrate excitement and energy to the class. Brophy (1986) advises teachers to "routinely project attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and attributions...that imply that your students share your own enthusiasm for learning. To the extent that you treat your students as if they already are eager learners, they will be more likely to become eager learners." In summary, our knowledge, confidence, preparedness, enthusiasm to name a few are important elements that can be set the appropriate expectations for learners in online setting.
