Teaching through Communication and Feedback
Communication and feedback are important to ensure the success of every student. In the traditional classroom, teaching aids, conversations and non-verbal communication are the most common tools. What about in an online class? Traditional teaching aids are difficult to use, and students and teachers are not present at the same time to have a conversation or to see the non-verbal communication. What is an online teacher supposed to do? The following are sources that provide suggestions for effective communication and feedback.
1. In this resource, Illinois Online Network provides 15 detailed strategies to provide effective feedback in an online course. These strategies help the teacher to meet individual student needs as well as reducing the chance of student a feeling alienated or alone in the online class.
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/communication/feedback.asp
2. The following is a video addressing how online teachers can effectively manage communicating in an online environment. It addresses time management, activities, discussions, tracking and tools to use in communicating in an online class.
http://youtu.be/F48JylfT7Bk
3. This resource a PowerPoint, developed by Kaplan University, outlining 7 principals to develop feedback in an online class community.
http://conference.merlot.org/2007/Thursday/usingfeedback.ppt
4. While the following video does not provide ideas for online communication, I found it to be a viable way for students to provide peer feedback in the classroom. I wonder, is there a way it could be incorporated in an online class, especially in synchronous classes.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/classroom-silent-communication-signals
5. This resource looks at the importance of communication in teaching. This does not directly address online learning, but overall communication in the classroom. One of the most effective ways to reduce the barriers in communication is two way communication. Teachers should receive feedback from students and peers are to how effective their communication skills are.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1705977/
6. The following resource gives some useful tools to communicate using technology. These tools include individual podcasts, screencasts, Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Sites, Google Reader and Alerts, Animoto, Voice Thread and PollEverywhere.
http://www.nea.org/tools/52048.htm 
Wow! Thank you Debi for including such helpful resources about communication and feedback in online learning environments. These presentations and articles could be very helpful for new online instructors!
ReplyDeleteI love all of your resources on communication and feedback in online learning environments Debi! I think communication and feedback is the most important aspect of an online learning environment. If there is not good communication then it causes complications in not only the learning process but the students comprehension of the material. In thinking about feedback in online courses it makes me think back to when I was in the classroom (although we did not have technology like we do today!) and how important feedback was to my learning. I was that kind of learner who wanted to know I was doing the right thing and was I on track. If I wasn't then I wanted to be told or guided to the way I should have been doing things. I really enjoyed your examples and plan on using them in the future! Thank you!
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