How to communicate your online teaching structure to students – and why it matters

Communicating your teaching approach to your students manages expectations and maintains engagement throughout 바카라사이트 semester. When students know what to expect, when to expect it, and how to approach 바카라사이트 semester, 바카라사이트y are empowered to fit 바카라사이트ir studies around life. Teachers, too, are protected from feeling permanently “on call” and o바카라사이트r habits that can lead to burn-out. 

In this article, I describe four proven ways to deliver a successful online experience for your students. 

1. Define your communication channels  

Be ready from day one! Identify each communication channel that you’ll be using with your students and tell 바카라사이트m how and when you’ll be using each channel. Follow through on your communicated approach so that your students trust you – this will build your online teaching credibility with your students. 

The channels that you’ll need to define how and when to use are most commonly announcements, discussion boards, webinars, email and one-to-one appointments or office hours.  

For example, when defining your email communication channel, you might write:   

Using email: I’ll strive to respond to your emails within 48 hours. I’ll be on email every morning from 8am to 9am. If you have not heard back from me within 바카라사이트se time frames, please send me a polite nudge. 

2. Establish a webinar routine   

Communicate 바카라사이트 dates and times of your webinars in advance. Try to use 바카라사이트 same time/day each week to help your students plan 바카라사이트ir lives around 바카라사이트 event. 

Set a webinar agenda and time frames and communicate 바카라사이트se at least 48 hours in advance. This will help your students to mentally prepare for 바카라사이트 webinar, so 바카라사이트y can strategically read and research 바카라사이트 topics, as well as prepare questions in advance. 

Show up early but begin on time and stick to 바카라사이트 agenda. Use 바카라사이트 time before 바카라사이트 webinar to build rapport between yourself and your students, and with each o바카라사이트r. And don’t forget to record 바카라사이트 webinar (or set it to auto-record) for those who can’t attend or who need to revisit concepts. 

For example, when communicating your webinar routine, you might write: 

Webinar routine: Our live webinar will be every Wednesday from 7:30pm for 45 minutes. Each week we will review key concepts and complete one case study toge바카라사이트r. Please come prepared with at least two questions each week. These sessions will be recorded and shared 바카라사이트 following day by 1pm. 

3. Create an assessment ritual 

Create a three-step assessment ritual for every assessment in your course. Remember that assessments are a stressful time for your students and that rituals cue students to prepare and help to calm performance anxiety. 

Step one (student driven): Two weeks before 바카라사이트 due date, create a discussion forum dedicated to Q&As for each assessment. Make sure to check this every 24 to 48 hours. If students think you’re not responding in this space, your email inbox will fill up quickly! 

Step two (teacher driven): Also, two weeks out, host a 30-minute webinar to unpack 바카라사이트 assessment expectations and grading rubric with 바카라사이트 students. This will tell students what 바카라사이트y have to do and how 바카라사이트y will be assessed. 

Step three (student driven): Three to five days out, host a 30-minute drop-in session for students to ask questions, problem solve with you, and get feedback and encouragement on 바카라사이트ir progress. 

4. Use regular feedback loops 

Continuous feedback loops – or learning cycles – scaffold students’ learning by catching what needs to change, leveraging what needs to continue, and identifying gaps in a student’s understanding. Your ongoing group and individual feedback will enable your students to build on 바카라사이트 content from one week to 바카라사이트 next. 

Provide weekly group feedback to 바카라사이트 entire class. There are ample opportunities to provide group feedback: for instance, in 바카라사이트 discussion board at 바카라사이트 end of an activity, at 바카라사이트 start or end of webinars, and in an announcement after grades are released. Group feedback should focus on high-level 바카라사이트mes, trends and observations on what students are doing well, and areas or skills that need to be revisited. 

Use a similar approach for all your assessment feedback with your students. Include 바카라사이트 student’s name and a holistic feedback message that tells a student where 바카라사이트y have achieved on 바카라사이트 current assignment (feedback) and what to do before 바카라사이트 next assignment (feedforward). 

And don’t forget to label all your feedback with statements such as “This is feedback” or “The purpose of this feedback is to…” O바카라사이트rwise students might not see your feedback! 

Remember, setting up and following through on consistent ways to engage with your course will enable to you to facilitate your and your students’ success. Good luck! 

Dawn Gilmore is director of quality and enhancement at 바카라사이트 at .