Outside of strong communication, two main concepts I took away from this is to first have a CMS that has a student orientation portion so students become more familiar prior to starting the course. The second concept is that the instructor needs to know only know the "ins and outs" of the CMS but also be able to communicate with students effectively. Communication in an online environment is vital. Remembering when responding electronically to any assignment, email, or question the instructor should avoid using "you" which can be interpreted negatively. The message being sent needs to address the situation not the student, the tone you think you are sending may not be interpreted the way intended. Always reread prior to sending as if you are the student. This will create better relationships with students as they go through the online course.
