Outcome 6b: Develop strategies to help you effectively communicate with your students while teaching your online course.

Communication Management

Designing and monitoring an effective communication system are key steps in teaching online. Communication in education involves establishing protocols for all communication and setting rules as well as encouraging participation, which helps in managing workload. Establishing protocols is necessary to make students aware of the technological tools and various avenues of communication available in the course. Equally important, instructors should also set ground rules to help students know what to expect and how to behave in an online environment (Ko & Rossen, 2010). Two factors determine the level and quality of participation and interaction in a class, 1) course design, which includes effective communication and 2) student dynamics, which is the same as face to face classrooms (Ko & Rossen, 2010). Instructor’s active presence in the online environment can ease student anxiousness. Lewis (2000) asserts that it is "helpful (to) engage in the WRITE way to communicate online: Warm, Responsive, Inquisitive, Tentative, and Empathetic” (Lewis, 2000, as cited in McInnerney & Roberts, 2002, Sec. Communcating online, para. 11).

Faculty competency in providing feedback is an important component of integrated course design. Consistent, constructive, and timely feedback are central to student learning (Vella, 2000). Having a system for providing feedback and communicating helps faculty focus their efforts and use time more efficiently, aiding in effective course development (Bonnel & Boehm, 2011). Sheridan and Kelly (2010) found that students place high value on communication and instructor responsiveness. Student’s (n=65) top responses in the communications cluster included: communicating with students in a timely manner (f=23), responding with 24 hours (f=22), and participating in online discussions (f=16). Figure 1 illustrates the frequency of all student responses identified in the study.

Ways of communication Figure 1: Concept map of responses that pertained to instructor communication. The numbers in parentheses indicates the frequency of the response. Figure reproduced from Sheridan and Kelly (2010).

Strategies to try: Instructors must manage the wide variety of communication methods and modes in their courses. These tips can aid in filtering, analyzing, and disseminating information effectively and efficiently (Davidson & Bornak, 2005; Ko & Rossen, 2010; McInnerney & Roberts, 2002; Sheridan & Kelly, 2010).

Schedule communication regularly and be timely in responses: Make regular announcements to keep students on task, remind them of upcoming due dates; use a systematic approach to providing feedback and respond to student inquiries in realistic time frames
Route questions to a discussion board instead of personal email to you: The more quickly you respond to these posts, the more students will route their inquiries to that venue, saving your email box from invasion and helping to answer each other's questions (such as technical questions or general class inquiries)
Plan by the numbers: Class size can affect the method in which you communicate to students (large enrollment courses, for example, might require you to skim discussion board forums rather than comment on each posting)
Communicate clearly: Instructors should model professional communication techniques; have specific area assigned for any updates, announcements and technology issues
Manage Threaded Discussions: Facilitate discussions or encourage students to take on this role
Manage Email: Instructors should either maintain a separate email account for online classes or have students type a key indicator such as course name/number in the subject line of emails; alternatively, instructors can recommend the use of email functions within learning management systems (LMS), which often include course and term identifying information in subject lines, may provide more security, and permit students and instructors to email directly within the LMS
Synthesize: Develop summaries from a review of discussions or assignments and share common themes and implications with the online class; this provides further reflection opportunities for course members

Information Management

Online teaching generally requires instructors to have a clear strategic direction for the overall technology and online environment in order to successfully manage and thrive. Information management is much more than technology. It concerns the processes and practices that support the creation and use of information. Focusing on information management improves the efficiency of the course building and delivery process and eases the process of adding new elements. It is important to consider consistency, duplication, and out-of-date information in your course. When a course is properly managed, instructors and students can focus on learning the content and objectives of the course, rather than searching for content, struggling with a lack of consistency in organization, and questioning objectives (Robertson, 2005).

Course Climate

To some degree, the success of any educational strategy is dependent on the climate you foster in your classroom. If students don’t believe their instructor has their best interests in mind they’re likely to reject the teaching, even if the methods are well-intentioned. Consider sharing briefly with your students your rationale for having them engage in different learning activities. You may find your students being more cooperative if they know how much effort and consideration you’ve put into the lesson.

Strategies to try: Below are a selection of tips and strategies to create a positive course climate (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, & Norman, 2010, pp. 180–186):

Content Strategies
- Use the syllabus and first day of class to establish the course climate
- Establish and reinforce ground rules for interaction
- Make sure course content does not marginalize students
- Use multiple and diverse examples
Student Perception Strategies
- Examine your assumptions about students
- Be mindful of low-ability cues
- Model inclusive language, behavior, and attitudes
- Facilitate active listening
- Do not ask individuals to speak for entire groups
Potential Tension Strategies
- Make uncertainty safe
- Resist a single right answer
- Anticipate and prepare for potentially sensitive issues
- Address tensions early and turn discord and tension into a learning opportunity

The Core Rules of Netiquette

At heart, Netiquette (etiquette for the Internet) is simple, good manners and business courtesy. Some of it may seem basic, but some infringements can result in major problems for others or can create an unintended insult to another user. Please read The Core Rules of Netiquette (Shea, 1994) for more detailed information.

References

Bonnel, W., & Boehm, H. (2011). Improving feedback to students online: Teaching tips from experienced faculty. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 42(11), 503–509. doi:10.3928/00220124-20110715-02
Davidson, G., & Bornak, M. E. (2005, October). Time Management for Online Instructors. Online Cl@ssroom: Ideas for Effective Online Instruction, (October), 1–2.
Ko, S., & Rossen, S. (2010). Teaching online: A practical guide (3rd ed., p. 450). New York: Routledge, a Taylor & Francis Imprint.
McInnerney, J. M., & Roberts, T. S. (2002). Online learning and effective communication. In ASET Conference 2002, Untangling the Web: Establishing Learning Links. Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from http://ascilite.org/archived-journals/aset/confs/2002/mcinnerney.html
Robertson, J. (2005, November 1). 10 principles of effective information management. Step Two Designs. Retrieved from http://www.steptwo.com.au/files/kmc_effectiveim.pdf
Sheridan, K., & Kelly, M. A. (2010). The indicators of instructor presence that are important to students in online courses. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(4), 767–779. Retrieved from http://www.k12k.com/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/940474/File/eLearning/The-Indicators-of-Instructor-Presence-that-are-Important-to-Students-in-Online-Courses.pdf
Vella, J. (2000). Taking learning to task: Creative strategies for teaching adults. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint.