Online Learning

Communicate with students

Provide the opportunity for substantive interactions with students on a predictable and scheduled basis.


As part of the What Works Well in Online Teaching (WWWOT) series, Sean Peterson shares how he engages students through announcement and course tour videos.


As part of the What Works Well in Online Teaching (WWWOT) series, Teresa Langford shares strategies she uses to communicate with students in her online courses.

Practices

Regular and substantive interaction (RSI) between students and instructors is a U.S. Department of Education requirement for online classes. More importantly, research has shown that instructor-student interaction is an essential component of learning. Here are the essential practices for this category.

Essential Practices
  • Outline and follow communication expectations in the syllabus.
  • Meet the expectations for regular and substantive interaction.
  • Use multiple ways to communicate with students. Incorporate the tools available in D2L to maximize the communication processes.
  • Engage with students to further clarify concepts as needed while teaching the course.
  • Respond to student questions within 24 hours Monday – Friday.
High-Impact Practices for Continuous Improvement
  • Send pre-course communication emails that outline course modality, meeting times, and first-week participation expectations.
  • Create a “Course Tour” or “Getting Started” video for week one and short “How to” videos to guide students through course expectations and processes as needed.
  • Create short videos to answer common questions.
  • Communicate instructor availability prior to major assignment due dates and make yourself available to provide additional guidance related to the teaching materials.
  • Schedule weekly one-on-one meeting opportunities.
  • Engage in discussion activities with students.
  • Lead interactions in a respectful, upbeat, positive way to encourage student engagement.

Examples for any online course

  • Establish instructor presence by tracking student engagement throughout the term.
  • Communicate your availability throughout the term in the course work schedule, e.g. around major due dates and group work.
  • Use inclusive and culturally responsive language when communicating with students. Model respect for social, cultural and linguistic differences and be culturally sensitive when using humor or idioms in the course.
  • Clearly communicate the course policy on AI use, including expectations, boundaries, and appropriate applications.
  • Utilize integrated tools within D2L, such as announcements, images, video, audio, discussions, and Zoom, to enhance instructor-learner and learner-learner interaction.
  • Use D2L calendar, intelligent agents, and other communication tools to maximize contact with students.
  • Provide feedback and guidance on the content, through weekly announcements or other messaging tools, such as Video Note.
  • Communicate as mentor, coach, and cheerleader to build confidence and provide encouragement, such as with announcements at the beginning of the week to
  • Offer multiple modes of communication and provide scheduling flexibility to accommodate students.
  • Advertise the Q&A forum as the primary place for asking questions regarding course content and assignments to reduce the number of student emails, to make the answers available to all students, and to address them in a timely manner.
  • Participate in student discussions by providing a summary, to correct errors of fact, to keep the discussion on topic and move it to deeper levels, or to add expertise to the content of the discussion.
  • Use collaborative annotation tools like Hypothes.is for students to highlight, ask questions, and comment on the syllabus or other key course materials.
  • Consider using a tool such as VoiceThread for discussion that includes video, audio, images, and text.

Examples for online courses with scheduled meetings

  • Share expectations for camera use and explain why cameras can support learning, while giving students flexibility to turn them off when needed.
  • Include specifics about meeting times and the ratio of online vs. remote components on the Course Details page so students understand expectations before the term begins.
  • Greet students by name during live sessions to personalize interaction.
  • In a synchronous setting, enlist a “chat monitor” to ensure questions are addressed.
  • Utilize Zoom communication tools such as the broadcast message feature, to communicate updates or announcements to all students during breakout room activities.
  • Utilize Zoom polling to gather immediate feedback on student understanding.
  • Record and post live sessions or provide written summaries.

Resources

Understanding Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)
Using Video and Multimedia to Communicate and Connect
AI Policy Examples and Student Communication