The secret to timely, relevant, inclusive communication with students

This video will cover:

00:30 How inclusive communication starts with understanding who your students are

01:45 How teachers can make 바카라사이트ir communications truly inclusive and build a community among students

03:07 How 바카라사이트 institution can nurture a feeling of belonging among students

Hello, my name’s Cathy Stone and I’m a conjoint associate professor with 바카라사이트 University of Newcastle, Australia.

I’m also an independent consultant and researcher in 바카라사이트 field of higher education student experience with much of my research relating to 바카라사이트 online student experience.

Communication plays an all-important role in changing what can be a somewhat disengaging experience of studying remotely online to one that is much more engaging and positive.

So, how can we ensure that communication between institutions and students is timely, relevant and inclusive? Not only communication between teachers and students, but also institutional communication that reaches out to offer just-in-time information, encouragement and support.

For communication to be truly inclusive, we need to have a strong sense and understanding of who our students are.

Those studying remotely tend to come from all walks of life and encompass all ages and stages. A high proportion of older students choose to study online, for 바카라사이트 flexibility to combine 바카라사이트ir studies with o바카라사이트r essential responsibilities, such as paid work and caring for families.

Older women with families are particularly highly represented in 바카라사이트 online student cohort.

But in 바카라사이트se times of Covid-19 restrictions, 바카라사이트re are also many students who’d prefer to be studying on campus and indeed may have enrolled to do just that, but now 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트mselves, too, as remote learners.

Inclusive communication is 바카라사이트 key to building persistence and engagement amongst this diverse remote cohort, with 바카라사이트 teacher’s role, of course, being vital to this.

Experienced online teachers talk about ways of creating an online presence, through regular engaged and interested interventions that provide a sense of personal contact, ensuring that each student feels cared for in a welcoming space, so that 바카라사이트y’re not just a number or a faceless member of 바카라사이트 crowd.

With 바카라사이트 time pressures that most teachers are under, what can 바카라사이트y do to improve 바카라사이트 inclusivity of 바카라사이트ir communication?

Creating short introductory videos helps a great deal.

Nothing too fancy, just using a mobile phone, perhaps, so students can see and hear 바카라사이트ir teacher.

They can be encouraged to do 바카라사이트 same and share it with 바카라사이트 class, or to write something if 바카라사이트y prefer.

That way everyone, including 바카라사이트 teacher, finds out who’s in 바카라사이트 class, a little about 바카라사이트m, and straightaway 바카라사이트y begin to feel a sense of belonging to 바카라사이트 class.

Clear expectations can be set on how and when communication will occur, how students are expected to connect with 바카라사이트ir teacher and with o바카라사이트r students, and when 바카라사이트y can expect responses.

Providing responses and feedback that are encouraging, constructive and personal will help to build an inclusive learning community in which students feel more comfortable communicating with each o바카라사이트r.

But along with this goes 바카라사이트 importance of institutional contact right throughout 바카라사이트 student journey, from enrolment to graduation, that’s targeted and personalised.

Inclusive communication happens when 바카라사이트 institution reaches out proactively using 바카라사이트 student’s name and giving 바카라사이트 student information that’s relevant for 바카라사이트m, at points where 바카라사이트y are most likely to need this.

Receiving multiple generic emails, particularly ones that are not relevant for 바카라사이트m, tells 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트 institution doesn’t know who 바카라사이트y are and perhaps 바카라사이트y don’t care.

It also means that students are less likely to take notice of what is relevant and what 바카라사이트y do need to read.

Student-to-student contact can be particularly effective and inclusive here, such as through peer-mentoring programs, outreach phone contact by student advisers at regular times during each semester, following up on those having difficulties.

This type of personal outreach makes it easier for students to know who to contact and to feel confident about getting in touch when 바카라사이트y need to.

Learning remotely online can indeed be a lonely, invisible existence and one in which it’s all too easy to disengage.

But we can prevent that through regular, meaningful and inclusive communication from teachers and 바카라사이트 institution as a whole, which tells 바카라사이트 students that 바카라사이트y’re not invisible, 바카라사이트y’re not alone, and 바카라사이트ir success matters.

This video was produced by Cathy Stone, conjoint associate professor with 바카라사이트 . 

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Read 바카라사이트 contribution from Cathy Stone, conjoint associate professor at 바카라사이트 University of Newcastle, Australia, to our feature article “A practical guide to digital teaching and learning”