Joel,
Totally agree. I put statements in my syllabus explaining what is the correct way to communicate in my course as well. If they email me and they do not have a subject line, I tell them their email will be deleted. When I teach business communications, I specifically state how we need to communicate as we are communicating in business.
Thanks for your input.
When establishing a pattern of communication, the most important things to consider are academics and community. A clear, consistent pattern of communication will enhance student learning and build a community of support among students and between the students and the instructor.
The pattern of communication should reinforce the learning objectives. Students should be able to recieve timely, helpful communication from the instructor. Additionally, students should understand what is expected from them in one-on-one communications as well as discussion board and chat formats.
A firm adherence to nettequitte rules will avoid misunderstanding and hurt feelings that hinder strong community within the class. Students need to rely on each other and show respect for every member of the class, including the instructor, in order to foster an effective and supportive environment that helps all students to be successful.
Sharon,
Right on! The pattern of communication should reinforce the learning objectives and help students understand what is expected of them.
There are various ways to develop the pattern of communication and we will all do it in various ways. However, you have listed many essential components.
Thanks!
When establishing a pattern of communication, I believe that setting expectations is very important. Not only should those expectations should be set, but the instructor should follow them and give examples. Giving examples further enhance the understanding of what is expected.
Netiquette is also very important. When a student enrolls in school, especially after years of being out, the last thing they need is to feel unwelcome. Therefore, it is important to me to ensure that all students are being respectful to each other. They should understand that we are all here to learn from the course as well as from each other.
Your communications should be consistant and clear. I believe being consistant and clear leads to students being better organized for the course. If their organization increases, they becomce more focused and ready to learn. This will increase their knowledge expontentially.
Along with those, you should should use proper tone and timeliness. Although tone is hard to convey electronically, you can use this to be postitive or negative.
Timeliness - make it a point to always make it clear about the timing of your online communications.
Shanel,
You are right on! Setting those expectations is essential. Serving as a role model and providing examples is important. This goes for netiquette too. R-E-S-P-E-C-T - it was a song - Ha! - is very important.
Thank you.
Joseph,
The "C" words are most important.
Consistent, clear, communication, clarification, etc.
Being timely is at time difficult. I explain to my students that 24 hours is "immediate" to me.
Thanks for your input.
In our course upfront we establish communication norms and expectations. This is done through rubrics and during course expectations. We also lay the groundwork and rules for student participation.
When establishing a pattern of communication, the two most important things to consider are the effectiveness of the communication (considering the audience) and setting the expectation.
No two groups of students are exactly alike. Often times there are similarities but everyone learns differently. So with communication, we must respect that everyone learns differently and ensure that the patterns of communication we chose for that particular moment are effective for the audience.
Setting the expectation is similar to consistency but also involves letting the audience know what you as the instructor expect from the student. When the student knows how to perform (what the rubric is, what "good" should look like, expectation, etc.) then typically the student will conform and perform.
Tipton,
Establishing the norms/expectations and using rubrics helps tremendously. These things benefit the students and the instructor.
Mary,
Yes, condidering the audience it important. Each class is composed of different students and communicating in a variety of ways is important. Rubrics, establishing the expectations and communication are key elements to success. Thank you.
In my experience as an online instructor two important things to consider are:
1) Setting expectations, guidelines and consequences - Instructors need to establish rules and guidelines regarding submitting work required for the course. Expectations and guidelines would include netiquette, essay submission (formatting, proofreading, style, etc), content of replies, due dates and deadlines, extension requests, discussion participation, etc. The consequences need to be communicated to the student so he/she is aware of actions that will be taken if these rules and guidelines are not followed.
2) Setting an example - Instructors also need to be held accountable to the guidelines that are applicable to them meaning that they also need to have good netiquette, they need to adhere to due dates set forth by their employer (grading due dates and replying to emails), participating in discussions, etc. They have be be a leader and they need to set an example otherwise the student may lose all respect for the rules (regardless of the consequences). They may feel that they can get away with it "just like the instructor did".
Paula,
I'm in agreement. Settting the expectations so that all students understand what is required/expected is essential. Instructors and students should serve as role models for each other, but you're right, the instructor should take the lead. Nice job.
I donot teach classroom,but i believe in having guidelines-- expectations and respect for both instructor and students.
Noreen,
The guidelines are important whether teaching online or F2F. When students understand the expectations and develop respect for each other and the instructor, the class runs more smoothly. Thank you.
The most important thing to consider when establishing a pattern of communication is that it needs to be ongoing. Students should feel that there is a steady stream of communication throughout the course - through email, discussion boards, and live chats. Another important consideration is support, which is very important in the online learning environment. With no face-to-face contact, students need to know that the instructor is approachable and available at all times.
Cheryl,
Communication is key and can be accomplished through many means. Know that your syllabus is also a communication tool. Keep it up!
When establishing a pattern of communication I try to focus on the professional aspects of communication (I teach business classes). So, there are a few key items, but the top two are:
1. Professional Image: Once you post a message or send an email you lose control of the message. It may be sent anywhere or forwarded to anyone at any time. So, I encourage students to be professional and concise (not stuffy... its OK to have some fun).
2. Timeliness: Late responses to an online discussion are not accepted. You cannot contribute anything of substance to a discussion that ended last week.
LE,
Keeping in mind that the instructor is the role model for all students is important. I stress professional communication in email, chats, etc. And, I agree it is OK to have some fun, but it's important to help students where to draw the line. Nice job. Keep up the great work.
I believe tone and time are the most important. Tone relating both to being positive as well as politeness and time referring to an appropriate amount of tim to better enable communication.
