What's the key to a successful online course?
The Educationalist. By Alexandra Mihai
Welcome to this week’s issue of “The Educationalist”! Today I want to address an important topic that is somewhat neglected when we talk about teaching and learning online.
Teaching online is about communication at least as much as it is about content, tools or methods. While we're busy designing online courses, we tend to take communication for granted. But unlike dace-to-face, when teaching online we need to deliberately plan our communication strategy. Here are some ideas and resources:
Our communication channels with students are essential in an online course. In fact they can be seen as the glue that gives the learning experience meaning and coherence. Find your voice, be as authentic as possible and open to dialogue. Knowing your students will help. Here is a survey from Michelle Pacansky-Brock that you can use and adapt to get to know your students better.
Decide what channels you want to use. If you can offer a variety of methods, do it and make it clear early on to your students. Try to provide information in various formats and in different spaces, it will help you reach out to more of your students. Make sure students know what channels they can use to contact you and, for everyone’s convenience, also let them know the timeframe in which they can expect an answer.
Let's talk about the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). I know most of us don't find it to be an ideal learning space. I wrote some ideas on this here. But we have to work with what we have and with a bit of effort and imagination we can make it work. Think of your VLE space as your main contact point with learners, that needs to play different roles: communication channel, learning path, interaction platform and community space.
Clear and explicit language in all the course sections is as important as the content of the course. Practice writing instructional text; it won't come easy at first and you will quickly notice that it requires you to be very clear about what you want students to do. This is exactly what they need. The good news is that with time you will get better at it and it will come more naturally.
Create routines to provide structure and scaffolding for your students. Send announcements or start activities on the same day each week, provide feedback within a cetrain timeframe, etc. These patterns support students more than we can imagine and also benefit our own planning.
Announcements. Now I know this sounds very artificial, definitely not as natural as in the classroom. But announcements are very important to convey teacher presence. Moreover, they can effectively support the narrative of your course, for instance by pointing out to students how different sections connect to each other. Make announcements visible on the front page of your VLE and don’t hesitate to try various media: text, video, audio, infographics…
When you are not sure if things are clear, rather communicate more. Repeating won't harm, as things often get lost in the virtual space. Send reminders, do regular check-ins. These serve to keep both your students and yourselves on track. Remember to put all those in your calendar. We are all developing new routines, so be kind!
By managing students' expectations you will get them on your side and the chances of a community emerging are higher. If people tell you this is impossible online, don't believe them! You can do it, and in the process you'll become a better communicator.
If you want to dig deeper into the topic of communication in online courses, here are some useful resources:
Let’s talk: Effectively Communicating with your Online Students by Sandra Mitchell-Holder- a comprehenisve guide on the structure and style of communication in an online course.
Enhancing Communication and Engagement in the Online Classroom with Judith Dutill (podcast)- a discussion on ways to enhance communication and increase engagement in the online classroom.
Humanizing Pre-Course Contact with a Liquid Syllabus by Michelle Pacansky-Brock- some much-needed inspiration on how to connect with your students before or as the course starts.
Enjoy the rest of the week!