ESTABLISHING ONLINE EXPECTATIONS
4 Things Your Students Need to Know as You Move Your Course Online
On the first day of class, you make sure to provide your students with all the information they need to be successful in your in-person course. Now as you prepare to teach your in-person class online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial that you give your students updated information about how to be successful in your ONLINE course.
In this article, we will cover four important aspects of establishing your NEW online learning expectations. Once your students know what is expected of them, and they know exactly what they can expect from you, successful online learning can begin!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you should you make a purchase using them. All recommendations are based on my personal experience.
Table of Contents
How to Contact You
This information may seem obvious to you, but it is essential information to reiterate often to your students. Just think about it, students always knew they would be seeing you every Monday and Wednesday at 8:00 am so if they needed to contact you, most likely they did it during class. Plus, do you think they have the syllabus with your contact information that you passed out on the first day of class? Probably not.
Contact information that you should consider sharing again with your students includes:
- Institutional email address
- Skype/Microsoft Teams/Google Hangout Username (the name students can use to search for you on whatever virtual conferencing tool you are using)
- Phone number (if you aren’t in your physical office then don’t include that number! Only share your personal number if you feel comfortable with students calling or texting you)
- Fax number … Ha – just kidding, please don’t!
In addition to informing your students of how they can reach you, it is also essential to let them know what your response time will be. Time is valuable to you and your students, so let them know when they can expect to hear back from you. Here are a few examples, choose one or two and tweak them to fit your response time, and then share it with your students.
If contacting me by email, I will respond within 24 hours during the week and 48 hours during the weekend.
When calling, please leave a message with your first and last name and what course you are in. I most likely will not answer any numbers I recognize so it is important that you leave me a detailed message. I will return your call within 24 hours during the week and 48 hours during the weekend. Don’t forget to leave me a phone number to call you back at.
I will be holding virtual office hours every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (MST). Use this link <insert video conferencing tool of choice> to join my meeting room.
If you have a question you feel the whole class would benefit from, please ask it in the “Ask the Instructor” discussion board. I will respond to all questions by 5:00 PM each day.
What Will Online Learning Look Like in Your Course
How many times have you heard the phrase, “In these uncertain times…” over the past few months? Probably quite a few times. While we are in new and uncharted waters, you certainly do not want your students to feel uncertain about what is going on in your course.
To clear up any uncertainty, let them know precisely what your course is going to look like now that it is online. Be sure even to reiterate the things about your course that will stay the same.
Here are a few uncertainties your students may be having:
- How will quizzes and exams be administered/completed?
- How will assignments and projects be submitted?
- Has the course schedule changed?
- Will the grading criteria for assignments change, and if so, how?
- How often should I be checking my email or course site?
- What will lectures or class activities look like now?
Providing your students with the most explicit details about the questions above and any additional questions will help everyone, including you, as the instructor, be more successful in the online learning environment.
QUICK TIP: Create a quick video answering the questions above – timesaver for you, and more engaging for your students! We recommend checking out Screencast-O-Matic or Camtasia to create videos and record your screen.
You might even consider editing your original course syllabus to reflect all the changes and resending it to your students.
As mentioned above, it is also vital that you let your students know when and for how long you will be online in your course each week. Giving your students guidelines for how long or how often they should be checking in online in your course is also a vital point to make when communicating expectations.
How to Access Course Content
Virtual lectures, narrated PowerPoints, PDF readings, supplemental videos, online quizzes, digital dropboxes….the list of all the new technology you may now be using goes on and on. With so much change so quickly, you must help your students understand how to access your course materials.
This may be new territory for you as well, but please know there are usually so many helpful resources surrounding educational technologies, so do not be afraid to look and find help! Like our Facebook page where we will be posting helpful tips and tricks and online teaching and learning resources.
Here is another great opportunity to create a video or screen recording to better explain to your students how to access your course content.
If you are not sure how you are going to get your course materials online, you might consider looking into these different online learning platforms:
Be sure to also provide your students with any special access codes or passwords they may also need to access any specialty technology tools you are using.
Need a webcam to help you make high-quality videos? We use the Microsoft LifeCam and have found it to produces great video and clear audio in our videos.
How to Get Support
Finally, you need to inform your students about how they will be supported in their online learning. They must understand that they still have access to all of the same support and services as before. Setting these expectations will significantly ease the stress students may be feeling.
Here are a few services that you should try to provide information for your students, as most of these services have also moved online:
- Technology Support/HelpDesk
- Educational Access Services
- Library Resources
- Tutoring and Writing Center
- Any other student services you feel are relevant to your course
In addition to the services above, let your students know that you are still available to them. Create an “Ask the Instructor” discussion board where students can post questions to you and read your responses to other students’ questions. Encourage students to attend your virtual office hours and be timely in responding to your students’ questions, concerns, and achievements.
Final Thoughts
Establishing clear and concise expectations while teaching and learning online is setting your course up for success. Students need to know what they can expect from you as their online instructor. They also need to clearly know what you expect of them.
Let students know how they can contact you and when they can expect a response back. Inform them of what your course will look like now that it is online, and how to access the course materials. Finally, let the students know they are not alone in this process, and they are still supported in their academic journey.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you should you make a purchase using them. All recommendations are based on my personal experience.
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