Student Expectations Of Online Instructors – A Guide To Improving Your Teaching Skills
As an online coach you must be aware of the expectations your students have. Use this guide on student expectations of online instructors to meet their needs.
Hi Trish Davies here and today I want to focus on student expectations of online instructors.
As the popularity of online courses continues to rise, so does the importance of being an excellent teacher. Students who take virtual courses expect much from their instructors.
In fact, because they can’t see you or hear your tone, they need even more from you than in a traditional lecture setting.
If you plan to continue teaching online courses, it’s important to be aware of what your students expect from you as an instructor. This will help you improve your skills and better prepare for future classes.
Before you begin teaching again, take some time to reflect on your previous experience as an instructor. This will help you identify areas that could use some improvement.
Read this guide, implement its suggestions, and solicit feedback from colleagues and friends who are also potential instructors.
Then you can be confident about your teaching capabilities before jumping into another virtual classroom again.
Student Expectations Of Online instructors – Plan Beforehand
When you’re leading a lecture or facilitating a discussion, you must know what you want to get out of it. You can’t go into a course with a “fly by the seat of your pants” style of teaching.
Students will notice and it will negatively impact their learning experience. They need to know what they’re getting out of each class session, why it’s important, and what they can do with it.
Some things you can plan for are outlined below.
Create an outline: Create an outline of what you’re going to teach, how long it will take, and what lessons you want to get across.
This will allow you to have a clear idea of what you want to teach, how much time each part will take, and when each section will appear.
Create a syllabus: A syllabus is a document that contains all relevant course information. Information such as the course title, objectives, course expectations, and grading policies.
Creating a syllabus will help you organize your thoughts and give your students a clear overview of the course ahead of time.
Create a course calendar: A course calendar is a visual representation of the syllabus and a great tool to help you keep track of the course’s progress.
By mapping out the course on a calendar, you can get a clearer picture of how your time is being spent. Also any upcoming deadlines, and any room for improvement.
Enable Questions & Feedback
Online learners crave the opportunity to ask questions and seek feedback. By enabling questions and feedback on your course, you allow your students to feel comfortable asking questions and receiving assistance.
You can do this in a number of ways, but the most common include:
Adding a “questions and feedback” section to your syllabus: Adding a “questions and feedback” section to your course syllabus will allow your students to ask questions and leave feedback in one centralized place.
You can add a link to a website where they can leave their questions and feedback. Or you can send them to a Google Doc that you’ll be checking regularly.
Creating a “call for feedback” assignment: This can be done at the end of the course. It allows you to receive feedback about what your students liked and didn’t like about the course.
You can even ask them what they would change and what they’d like to see in future courses.
Creating a “call for questions” assignment: This can be done at the beginning of the course. It allows you to receive questions about the course, materials, and grading policies before the course even begins.
Be Clear & Concise
As an online instructor, you’re unlikely to meet your students in person. Therefore you have to make sure that your students understand what’s expected of them.
Be as clear and concise as possible when explaining course expectations, grading policies, and deadlines.
You may need to explain some of these things more than once. However being clear and concise upfront, you’ll help students avoid confusion and make the best use of your course.
When writing course materials, such as quizzes, exams, and lesson plans, it’s important to be as clear and concise as possible.
Avoid vague or overly complicated language and use bullet points whenever possible.
By making your course materials clear, you give students the best chance of understanding what’s expected of them. This in turn makes it easier for you to grade their work accurately.
Don’t Shy Away From Difficult Material
Some courses, especially those in the social sciences and humanities, may involve difficult or controversial topics.
There are a few ways you can approach these topics to make sure that your online course is an inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their background.
First, you can provide a clear overview of the topics you’re including in your course.
Let students know what they’re getting into and provide links to articles and books. Or other resources that will help them better understand the topics you’re teaching.
You can also create opportunities for students to discuss difficult topics with one another. This will allow students to express their opinions and concerns in a safe, productive environment.
Use Your Presence To Help Students Learn
As an online instructor, you’re expected to guide your students through the use of technology. You’ll need to guide students in the use of online platforms, software, and other technology-related tools.
You’ll need to help students learn how to do things like use discussion boards, create blog posts, and create and edit videos.
In order to help your students become competent and confident with these tools, you must first be competent and confident using them yourself.
Once you’re comfortable using these tools, use your presence online to help guide your students through their use. This can be done in a number of ways, such as:
Creating a social media account and using it to promote your course: Most online courses have accompanying social media accounts, such as Facebook groups or Twitter feeds.
Also creating a social media account and using it to promote your course will allow you to engage with your students and answer any questions they have about the course.
Creating a blog and posting course-related content on it: A blog is a great way to engage with your students offline.
By posting course-related content on it and linking it to your social media accounts, you can engage with your students both online and off.
Student Expectations Of Online Instructors – Conclusion
Students who attend online courses expect a lot from their instructors. To make sure that your students receive the best education possible, make sure to plan your lessons, engage with students, and use your presence to help students learn.
By following these tips, you can become an excellent online instructor and better prepare for the demands of future online courses.
For more information on student expectations of online instructors check out my free training program called Build Your AU.
Register for the program here.
Helping you build your authenticity, authority and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
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