Planning for Teaching With the Web

Foster Community Among Students

Both on-campus and distance learners appreciate instructors who strive to include distance learners, even through gestures as simple as occasionally addressing distance learners by looking at the camera and speaking to them "directly."

To foster community, instructors must convey to respect for all students - both on campus and distance – that are participating in the course. Instructors’ communication and relationship with the two cohorts may be different due to the technical and geographic realities, but communication and relationships to both cohorts should be balanced and equivalent.

Convey Welcome and Respect

On the first day of class…

• Welcome all students by remembering to occasionally look directly at the camera during your opening or welcoming remarks.
• Explain to your on-campus students why the cameras are being used and as much as you can about who or how many distance learners there are or where they are from.

Making the Most of Your Time

Define and Communicate Course Requirements

Develop Guidelines for Instructor–Student Communication

Foster Positive Work Relationships With Your Students

Foster Community Among Students

Course Website

PowerPoint

Online Discussion

Acknowledge Distance Learners’ Input

By referring to distance learners, you demonstrate to on-campus students and distance learners alike that you take their participation seriously.

• Quote comments from distance learners that you have received in homework, emails or online discussions during on-campus discussions.
• Look at the camera! Make it a habit to occasionally address the distance learners during lecture or in-class discussions.

Manage Online Discussion

Since much communication with distance learners will be online, it is also important to consider effective ways to use online discussion. CIDR’s EPost Teaching Guide addresses questions such as

• Groups
  Will you limit the number of students in each online discussion (or EPost account?
• Discussions
  Will you provide guiding questions or topics for the discussions?
• Participation
  Will you read the postings, comment, provide summaries and/or redirections?
• Anonymity
  Will you allow students to remain anonymous to peers by using pseudonyms?
• Content & Conduct
  What content should postings contain and what rules of conduct should students follow?

"Some faculty clearly made efforts to adapt to the new technology - for example, but "looking at" the DL students in the camera/monitor, including DL students in class discussions by asking them questions directly, and realizing DL students are not always (due to microphones) able to hear Seattle students and compensating by repeating Seattle student comments so DLs can hear."

"The positive experience was knowing that the course could involve more diverse backgrounds of student learners as well as variety of employment experiences that enrich the overall learning process. All of the instructors were cognizant of the learners and checked in with them at regular intervals."

Provide Access to Student Emails or Biographies to All Students

• Make the first assignment for everyone be to submit a brief biographical sketch of who they are, why there are in this course, where they are from, etc.
• Distribute a list of all student emails (with their permission) to students.

Tip: For a variety of reasons, not all students will want personal or contact information on a semi-public website. Be sure to announce your intention add this information to the web and invite students to "opt out" of having their information put on the web.

See also Section 3 "Foster positive work relationships with your students."

"To me, to feel more connected would have been to meet weekly. But since this was web-based, the bios and web discussions were very helpful."

"The ability to easily contact other students and the response time from the instructors enhanced my learning."

Manage Video Conferencing Discussions

Remember that there is often a time lag for the distance students who are part of a video conference. This time lag can seem disruptive if distance learners volunteer comments when an on-campus student or the instructor may be commenting. To help manage this time lag, you can structure discussions by This may require you to structure discussions.

• Asking distance learners to wait until you cue them or direct questions to them directly – and then remember to do it!
• Asking your on-campus students to help you remember to include distance learners.
• Making it a habit to repeat questions or important comments that on-campus students make into the microphone to ensure that distance learners who are watching can follow discussions.