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How to Improve Online Communication

Posted on 05/28/2019

Woman using laptopPhoto by WOCinTech Chat is licensed under CC BY 2.0

For teachers new to online teaching, and even those who have been at it for a while, communication between the teacher and students and among the students themselves can be one of the greatest challenges and can make or break the course. Since there may be little to no face-to-face communication between course participants, it is important to approach online communication differently to keep everyone informed and a part of the course from start to finish.

In her article 5 Ways to Improve Online Discussion Boards on the EmergingEdTech blog, Adela Belin provides some tips on how to improve communication in an online course.

  • Respond to everyone – Although there are differing opinions whether a teacher should respond to every single post, the fact remains that one of the ways that the teacher shows her presence in the course is by actively responding to student posts. And not just yes or no responses, but replies that demonstrate that the teacher has read what the students have said and responded in a thoughtful way.

  • Give specific instructions – One of the benefits of a face-to-face classroom is the ability to read the room for confusion and a need to clarify. Online, this is far more difficult (unless you have incorporated video conferencing where this might be possible). Therefore, it is especially important to make sure that the instructions you have provided are clear and explicit.

  • Challenge students – One of the knocks against online learning is that is does not provide as rich of a learning experience as an in-person class. One way to counter this argument is to create an online space for challenging and enriching discussions. Questions in online forums should be open-ended and call on students’ critical thinking abilities.

  • Assign responsibilities – Consider assigning roles to students – moderating or facilitating that week, summarizing the week’s discussion, posing prompts or questions – as a way to keep students engaged and put some of the responsibility for the functioning of the course on the participants.

  • Work with small groups – Students will find smaller groups more engaging than trying to participate in the whole group, which can be subject to a few dominating the discussion while others hide in the corner.

If you need more ideas about how to manage your online course, please contact OTAN at support@otan.us or call us at 916-228-2580. If your school is moving towards online or blended learning in the summer or fall, have us come to your site to present and assist!

Article: 5 Ways to Improve Online Discussion Boards from EmergingEdTech

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OTAN activities are funded by contract CN220124 from the Adult Education Office, in the Career & College Transition Division, California Department of Education, with funds provided through Federal P.L., 105-220, Section 223. However, OTAN content does not necessarily reflect the position of that department or the U.S. Department of Education.