Tips for facilitating communication online:
- Create a discussion forum for student introductions at the beginning of the semester, encourage or require students to upload a picture to decrease anonymity, and personally respond to each.3
- Introduce yourself and course expectations, including your response policy.3
- Let your personality show in your writing, and use videos to share information with your students.2
- Encourage communication by providing multiple means of contact (email, Skype, online office hours via chat).1
- Be prompt and consistent in responding to students.2
- Provide students an opportunity to interact out of class, online, through an informal discussion board.