Clear Concise Communication in the Classroom
Students will always let you know where you are lacking as an instructor. As someone who has been teaching online for over a decade at this point, I have found that students make the best surveyor of your course. Having gone through a couple of course certifications through my institution, my main goal was to reduce emails from students. It is not that I do not want to hear from my students, but I wanted to lessen the questions I received concerning where to find materials, assignments, how to submit items, and more importantly "What should I be working on?".
These types of questions, at least to me, represented a lack of direction or clarity on my part in designing the course. The instructional designer was there to assist me in my quest by providing feedback, not on the content, but on the structure, pacing, and clarity of my course.
The Homepage
As someone who uses Canvas (Learning Management System), the homepage is the first thing students will see when they log into the class. Instructors have several options when choosing their homepage, from the list of assignments, the collection of modules, or a basic front page that can be edited with text and images. Within my courses, I chose to use the front page option that allows me to include relevant information such as a picture of the book being used, my email, and a link to my Zoom meeting space where I hold my office hours. The image of the book cover helps reduce any confusion when students are obtaining their text as our courses are allowed to have up to three books per course - 2 publisher and 1 OER textbook. The homepage should be kept simple, contain only relevant information, and be clean in design. Just follow the old adage....Keep It Simple.
Announcements
Communication with students is a fundamental component to creating a pleasant learning environment. Using announcements, rather than emails, has become my go to way to communicate with my students. Furthermore, using announcements as the main communication tool allows me maintain a consistent schedule of delivery throughout the week. Consistency is key as students will get used to your announcements and when they come through. Using the same language, delivering the same messages such as previewing upcoming assignments and reminders of due dates, and sending them out on the same days each week help establish routine and structure. There are advantages of using announcement in an online course including notifying students of unexpected changes to the course, highlighting the upcoming week, and providing feedback (Romero, 2022).
Consistency in Structure
When planning your course, consistent structure will allow students to familiarize themselves with the material faster allowing for a more streamlined learning experience. Students can also spend more time learning the material, asking questions, and engaging with their peers more often when they are not searching for content (Messinger, 2021). When courses are designed this way, is allows students to internalize the the processes faster, learn how the information is chunked together, and ultimately, allow our memory to take on new information (Messinger, 2021). Preferably, an instructor will provide consistency within the class as well as across their entire range of courses. Students who move forward using the same instructor will have an cognitive advantage of understanding the structure and expectations from the previous course. By also providing alternative delivery methods (in a consistent manner), instructors can reach more students where they are.
Alternative Delivery Options
Providing alternate means of instruction will provide more clarity on what the instructor expects. By supplementing written instruction with either video clips or audio files, students can hear versus just read what the assignment or assessment entails. Many students may need that extra bit of information to better understand what they are supposed to be working on and working towards. Using your own voice in these types of deliveries will also allow students to see you and get to know you through your mannerisms and your inflections in your voice. Within the initial stages of planning, alternative delivery methods should be on the table and how we go about addressing as many students needs as possible.
Set Expectations Early
Outline your expectations starting on day one. Using an initial email or announcement on the first day to layout the first few days and what is to be submitted. Share each of the components or elements of the course with your students and how they should interact with them early on (Anonymous, n.d.) Assignments/discussions should have consistent delivery and submission processes, quizzes and exams should follow the same time frames throughout the semester. The most important piece of expectations is to hold to them during the course. Exceptions can be made, but should only be done in certain situations.
Following these guidelines will foster a more engaging course, students will find success faster, and hopefully you will receive less emails concerning the class. Students will figure out your course faster and be able to successfully navigate it with as little assistance as necessary and begin to focus on the content in a more meaningful manner (Messinger, 2021).
Works Referenced:
Anonymous. (n.d.). Setting Expectations & Connecting with Students: Center for Teaching Innovation. Setting Expectations & Connecting with Students | Center for Teaching Innovation. https://teaching.cornell.edu/spring-teaching-resources/online-hybrid-teaching/instructorstudent-rapport/setting-expectations
Messinger, A. (2021, September 10). Improving Student Learning Through Course Consistency. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/improving-student-learning-through-online-course-consistency
Romero, E. (2022, June 30). 5 Strategies for Using LMS Announcements in an Online Course. Erika Romero. https://www.evereducating.com/lms-announcements/
Additional Resources:
Comments