I believe the three most important things to consider when assessing the type of communication tools to be used in the online environment are:
1. Which tool of the available tools closest meets the needs of the student
2. Which tool will be easiest to implement into the classroom
3. Which tool can be used in the an asynchronous environment
I choose email as my best communication tool, followed by a weekly teleconference office hour. This will allow the student to have ongoing availability via email as well as establish an opportunity for verbal communication.
Jennifer & Diana,
Thanks for continuing the conversation. I agree with you as well. Sometimes, however, no matter how big the group, you may need to call a few students especially if they are having difficulties. Thanks again.
Jennifer,
Purpose, Ease of Use, and Size of Group. You are right on target. Also, make sure y ou are assessing the tools to make sure they are meeting your needs and the needs of your students. Nice job.
Charlene,
It's true you must meet the needs of the students, but you must also "meet the needs" of the content and meet your needs. It's a balancing act. Knowing which tool to use, assessing it for proper use and ease of use, as you noted, are also important. Thanks!
A student must have the right technology tools to take on-line courses. If they do not, there will be a compatability issue from the start of the class.
The instructor must know the level of knowledge that a student in the class has on the topic being discussed. The instructor must be able to start at the student's level of knowledge and bring them up to a level of knowledge that the coursework requires.
An instructor must also have the correct technology tools to work with and should use the small group or large group technology that works best to communicate information.
An instructor must be a good communicator, both written and verbal. Written communication skills are needed for emails and instant messaging and written chat sessions. Verbal communication is important for conference calls, verbal chat sessions and discussing topics with students during a tutoring session.
Linda,
Compatability is always an issue. I have tried to develop a "help me" area so that when students run into trouble they look their first to see if I have a helpful hint to get them out of a jam. Communicating through the technology is essential. I like the way you describe the verbal communication in your course. Nice job. Thanks for your input.
The three most important things to consider are--
1. Is the technology a good fit for the task? The most efficient option should be chosen if other factors are constant.
2 Does eveyone have access to it or a viable alternative? An Instructor wouldn't want to select an option that would exclude students from participating.
3. Is the tool easy to use? Will it enhance or detract from the communication goal?
When considering which tool to use, I would consider:
1. Purpose of Communication- Different tools should be utilized for instruction vs feedback vs collaboration/discussion.
2. Audience- Their reources, skill levels and location(sychronous vs asynchronous media)
3. Constraints of Instructional LMS- Is it compatible with our LMS? or Can it easily be documented within our LMS?
Tyra,
Yes, thanks for initiating the discussion about "What is the purpose of the communication?" Many times people simply use a tool to communicate because "it is there," not because it's the best tool for the communication. You definitely have to take the LMS into consideration as well. Thanks for your input.
I think the most important things to consider would be:
1. Ease of use - no one wants to spend hours learning to use new applications or use something that is difficult to understand.
2. Availability - the application should be readily available to all users.
3. Compatability - the application should fit the process that it is intended.
I beleive the three most important things to consider would be:
Ease of use - if the users cannot understand how to use it or it is too difficult to learn, they will give up.
Combatibility - if the technology is not compatible with other software packages, then it will be useless.
Availability - if the technology is not readily available, or is too difficult to find, then students will get frustrated and again, give up.
Cindy,
You are right on. Making sure the communication tools are easy to use for all students is essential. If they are not easy to use, the students will not be as likely to use them and the communication will suffere. Compatiability and availability are also keep the communication flowing. Thanks for your input.
Cindy,
I think you mean "compatibility" -- ;-) Although lack of compatibility may make you combatitive. LOL. You're right that the tools should be easy to use, available and compatible. Otherwise, communication will be lacking. Thanks!
For me the main thing to consider is how to really translate what im teaching into the virtual learning environment. Most of what we do is so hands on that a lot of the courses I teach would not benefit the student to do them virtually.
the lectures would be great to do virtually and i feel my students would have very little trouble getting used to it because we are dealing with a lot of high tech software and gear. It would make sense to use to do the lectures virtually for the more theory based stuff.
I must say we have had to recently block students from accessing facebook and other social networking sites when at school because it has become a huge problem with them not getting involved in the classes and labs.
In my private tutoring though I have used skype many times and have found a combo of it and screen sharing works really well with students that cant come to me. Its allowed me to reach a broader ranger of people that dont live locally.
Richard,
Changing from teaching F2F to a virtual environment can be difficult. The first thing I do is a quick analysis of what I'm doing in class and how I'm providing the information to students. Does the project/assignment/etc. involve student-to-student (S2S) interaction, or instructor-to-student (I2S) interaction or student-to-instructor (S2I) interaction? This is a good question to ask because you then have to think about the technology tool to allow for such interaction or change the project/assignment/etc. Thinking about these things and the communication within the course are huge considerations. Thanks for your input and ideas on how you use Skype and other technologies.
I agree with Ms. Nicole Fox -
1) What are the course requirements? Do the students need more personal help by my outreach outside the online classroom?
2) Do my students have the system requirements needed to use online communication tools and are they tech saavy to use them?
3) Will I reach out consistently to assess their needs and offer communication options for their benefit?
At one of the schools I teach for, students are intimidated by their professors, and have challenges being responsive. I find it necessary to call them by phone when they are unresponsive, to provide a comfort level that they can ask anything they need help with, and to help them feel more connected to the class and their instructor. The more I reach out, the better the student response and I can establish a wonderful relationship with that students. I then get responses, questions, how are you's, life stories - and as a direct result, I can really get know my students in my virtual class, almost as well as an on-ground class. I have even gotten pictures uploaded so I can have a face to the name. Personal outreach via phone has proven very successful for me.
Nicole - I totally agree that these three considerations are of top priority. Number 2 that you indicated really applies in my online world with one of my schools. I find that in many cases, comprehension of the techologies proves intimidating for my students.
To overcome this, I provide detailed explanations of how to access and use the technology, step by step. This seems to help tremendously.
Dr. Crews, to me, the three most important considerations are:
1) Efficiency of communication. Does the technological tool actually enhance communication or hinder it? I have been on webexes that took the hosts 20 kminutes to set up properly.
2) Does the tool add value? Is it really necessary?
3) Does the tool help to reach the largest audience? If it doesn't, perhaps a simpler and more traditional method of communication would suffice.
Dalene,
Thanks for continuing the conversation. Any time you can put a face with a name in an online course, it's great. Keeping the communication going with students and between students is essential. This helps establish that relationship and sense of community. Nice job.
Dalene & Nicole,
Thanks for reading each other's posts and carrying the conversation further. I also try to have an area online called "Troubleshooting Guide." It's just tips I've put together over the semesters of things that I know students may have technology issues with. Then, if students have issues they can look there first before contacting me. Thanks again.
