![]() ![]() Now, if you were in an (F2F) class, it would be sufficient to tell your class that the deadline has been extended and you would probably write the information on the board so that they could copy it down as a reminder. What do you want to achieve with this communication? To inform your students that the deadline to complete the test has been extended. Why are you communicating with students in this particular instance? To let students know they have more time to complete the test if needed. For example, you need to send a notice to your online students to let them know that the deadline to complete a test has been extended. ![]() Think about why you need to communicate with your students and what you want to gain from your communication. Why are you communicating with your online students? To answer this question, you have to know the end result you want to achieve with the communication you are sending to your students. To determine what would be considered timely and relevant communication in your online class, you first need to decide why and what you need to communicate to students. Awareness of limitations to communication capabilities within online environments will help you determine how to develop timely and relevant communications and how to effectively communication with your online students. When communicating in an online class, since you are limited to using text and/or images to help you get your point across, you do not have the benefit of using body language to help you communicate to your students. In an (F2F) class, you have the benefit of using body language and facial expression to help you communicate and get your message across to your student. Communicating with students in an online environment requires a little more thought and planning than communicating with students in an (F2F) environment due to the absence of body language in the online environment. When we are communicating with students whether in a face-to-face (F2F) class or an online class, we are communicating to give information or get information to gain understanding and build relationships. Why Effective Communication is Required in Online Classes Methods that can be used to communicate more effectively in online environments and how having a communication plan in advance helps you communicate better. How to make your communications personal. How knowing your audience can help improve communications. What it takes to show your presence in your online class. This chapter will examine why effective communication is required in online classes. How you communicate with your students and the methods you use to communicate can make a difference in whether or not a student is successful in your class. Whether you are new to teaching online or a veteran online instructor, finding the best methods for communicating with your students should be your number one priority. As an online instructor, you are expected to communicate with your students in a timely and effective manner. When and how you communicate with your students helps you foster a sense of community in your class which helps your students feel connected to you and their classmates. One of your primary goals as an online instructor should be to foster a sense of community within your online class. The above quote emphasizes why it is important that online instructors learn to communicate with their students in ways that will support and enhance their learning experience. “For most online students, their primary contact with an institution is through their communication with faculty” Betts (2009). This chapter will explore several tools and methods that can be used to enhance your communications with your online students. Learning Management Systems (LMS) have built-in tools to assist in communicating with your online students, but there are also many other technology tools to help you bridge the gap between you and your online students. Fostering a sense of community in online classes will make the learning experience more meaningful for online students and help them stay connected during the life of the course. The goal of online communications is the same as the goal in face-to-face communications: to bond to share information to be heard, and to be understood. We should provide them with a sense of community while enrolled in online classes to avoid the sense of isolation that some online students experience. While effectively communicating with the students in your online classes aids in the retention of your students, as educators, we should want to do more than just retain our students. ![]()
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