- Without care, online students succumb to two related problems: isolation and apathy. Working alone, students can become confused and frustrated, feeling they don't have the resources to succeed. When this happens, they drop courses and avoid future online opportunities.
In other cases, students stay in the course, but end up grinding unhappily through repetitive, uninteresting assignments. They emerge with a substandard education and a negative attitude toward both online learning and the subject.
The solution to these problems is found in an active, enthusiastic approach to online education that emphasizes communication among all of a class's members. Online educators and online learning literature suggest seven answers.
- Show optimism and personality in email and course materials.
The format and length of messages can make email feel abrupt and joyless to readers. Instructors must overcome this, or students will avoid communication. Try to convey excitement about the subject matter, students, and practice of on-line learning in messages to the class.
Techniques for raising the energy level in email include using more punctuation and "emoticons" (symbols like happy faces made with type figures.) Describe your mood at the start of messages. Try not to be "all business." At the start of a new course or unit, let students know why the content is important or interesting.
Finally, let students know a little about you. Students become more dedicated to a course as they grow to appreciate the instructor as a person, so show some personality in your writing.
- Raise interest with thought-provoking issues.
Every subject has controversies, and forming opinions about these is often the way that learners become engaged in the subject. When instructors encourage debate and discussion about these issues without taking sides, they motivate student interest.
What issues face professionals working in this field? What topics are debated in academic circles? What are some of the common problems and proposed solutions? Even when controversies aren't central to the curriculum of the particular course, skilled instructors use them to engage students.
- Use short extra-credit questions to engage students in online reading.
Online courses require a great deal of reading to replace the spoken communication of the classroom. Reading in this setting is not optional. Without it, students cannot complete the course.
To motivate reading, many top online instructors give students extra-credit questions associated with readings. These focus student attention on important concepts and encourage completion of the reading. Submitting an answer requires an email exchange with the instructor, encouraging students to ask follow-up questions.
- Inject humor into course materials.
Learning at a distance and working with computers can be frustrating. A few laughs will help students cope and keep them logging into the course. Free cartoon clip art is readily available on the Internet and easy to paste into course materials. Humorous anecdotes, especially from the instructor's own experience, will lighten the course and increase your approachability.
The Internet is also a good source of subject-related humor. Try a web search for humor appropriate to the curriculum area. Here are a few education humor sites to get you started:
- Get proactive in communicating with students.
A common mistake is to assume that everything is going well when students are quiet. Good on-line instructors send the first message, not just the reply. Send email when:
- a student hasn't contacted you yet
- a student is late turning in an assignment
- students are nearing an important hurdle
- you have some helpful advice
- a student asks a good question that others are likely to ask as well
- the class seems too quiet
This might sound like a great deal of work, but proactive communication actually prevents problems that take more time later on.
- Involve students in course design and instruction.
Involvement and personal investment motivate students to succeed, and an online course is the perfect setting for such participation. Encourage students to collect and post helpful links. Have them take turns outlining course topics and posting these summaries for others. Assign teams to design curriculum and teach some topics.
Smart online instructors save time, improve the course site, and raise student interest at the same time by involving students. Students with communication skills can facilitate discussion groups. Students with technical or artistic skills can improve the design of the web site.
- Make students aware of each other. Create a learning community.
If students send more email to the instructor than to other students, then the course isn't functioning as well as it should. When students interact, they begin to answer each other's questions instead of sending every question to the instructor. Students who are shy around authorities find this outlet especially important. Interaction is equally critical for social learners.
Use a buddy system, pairing students up at the start of a semester. Form study groups for complex topics. Give team assignments to reduce the grading load and spark interaction. Give your best students extra credit for tutoring or helping those who are having problems.
You can build a course where students are excited to learn and nobody is left out!
Ideas for this article submitted by the following:
- Bob Gora, Catawba Valley CC
- Marlowe Mager, Stanly CC
- Phillis Ostheim, James Sprunt CC
Reprinted from Creating a Virtual Learning Community. North Carolina Virtual Learning Community. North Carolina Community College System. Fall 2001. Volume 3, Issue 1.
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