Do you feel adequately prepared to teach as an online instructor? Are you easily accessible and available to your students? Do students perceive you as uniquely visible and identifiable as their instructor?
One of the challenges that higher education has recently faced is delivering quality education through a virtual classroom environment, especially for classes that are not normally assigned to be delivered remotely. Even for seasoned online instructors, there are inherent challenges that are rooted in the nature of working this way and will always be present, requiring dedication and time to address. One of the most pressing challenges is to become a real person for students, someone visible and available to address their needs and, most importantly, accessible when necessary to answer their concerns.
A virtual classroom immediately changes the teaching dynamic, in terms of how instructors interact with students. Instead of visual, verbal, and vocal cues, interactions are now primarily based on written text. There are exceptions to this rule, and they include the occasional use of web meetings as a supplemental means of interacting with students. One of the challenges in trusting written communication is the one-sided nature of messaging and creating posts in the classroom. There is only one perceived tone and if the format is less than academically accurate or precise, the message and its meaning will be interrupted.
Within an online class, learners look for clues or indicators that their instructor is actively present, not just someone working remotely and occasionally checking in to the class. The more they perceive the instructor to be present, the more likely they are to be motivated to also be present and engaged in class. Creating a highly visible presence requires skillful practice, implemented as part of an ongoing set of teaching strategies.
Welcome to the “Always Open” Classroom
The benefit of a virtual classroom is the seemingly unlimited access to it, along with course resources and materials. This “always open” mentality changes the perception of what students expect from their instructors as to when they should be available. I am finding that response time has a significant impact on how students view my participation in the class and shapes how they respond to my feedback.
In other words, if I am highly responsive and available, students are more likely to engage with me when I send messages or post comments. The challenge for me is learning when to be present and when to give myself a break or down time outside of the classroom. Just because the classroom is “always open” does not mean that I, or any online instructor, should be “always connected” and present at all times.
How to become visible and accessible in a virtual classroom
Being noticed in a virtual classroom is the first step to being seen. However, students who expect an instructor to be highly visible and approachable expect high-quality interactions and someone who is highly engaged, responsive, and frequently available to assist them. When I thought about sharing my strategies for teaching in a virtual classroom, I took into consideration the fact that instructors will have varying degrees of experience working in this environment. However, there are basic concepts that anyone can implement to create an online presence that is perceived as visible and easily accessible to students.
Strategy One: Personalize the Learning Experience
This is an aspect of online teaching that I am always aware of and it has to do with developing ways that I can humanize the learning experience for students. One area that I have grown in is with my introduction. I used to share only professional information, but over time it has evolved and now I also include casual information that can help show me as a real person. For example, I’m talking about my favorite TV shows and movies, and I’ve also included a picture of my office mate, who happens to be a pet that sometimes comes into my office. I am still hesitant to share too much personal information about my family or spouse, believing that it is necessary to maintain a professional relationship.
What I recommend to anyone who is trying to become a “real” person to their students is to share what you think will help build connections with them, without sharing anything too personal. The idea is to connect with and inspire your students, and find a way to bridge the gap between a resume and casual conversation. You can also share a LinkedIn profile link, as it is professional in nature and allows students to learn more about your background, as long as you have kept it up to date.
Strategy Two: Teach Through Weekly Course Messages
For those instructors who teach traditional online classes, there is usually a method for posting course announcements and/or weekly summaries. With my online university, I have the ability to use a weekly course announcement as a teaching tool. For example, I’m going to record a video, and the video is a narration of me going through a PowerPoint presentation I’ve already developed. The presentation provides an overview of the upcoming week, including assigned readings, course concepts, an in-depth examination of specific topics, and an exploration of required learning activities. I will also include motivational sayings and other essentials to help prepare students.
When I have completed the feedback, I will also post a course announcement, as a recorded video, and I often use this as a teaching tool. I may include additional resources, along with additional tips, strategies, and tips. If you have the ability to transform long written lectures into some kind of interactive video, with or without a PowerPoint presentation, I recommend giving it a try as students get the experience of being in class and a sense of personalized instruction. This also ties in with the first strategy on personalizing the learning experience. If there is a method available for you to add your instruction to the course, whether through the use of messaging or something else, you will find that this allows you to share your subject matter expertise and knowledge.
Strategy Three: Plan an Approach to Class Engagement
Do you think ahead how you will participate in class discussions? A weekly class discussion can be your opportunity to help determine how your students are working with and understanding the course topics, as well as being able to apply what they have learned. While the discussion responses tend to be similar in scope, you can still help them continue learning by asking questions in a planned way, such as Socratic questioning techniques.
When I post a response to a student, I start by acknowledging something they said within their response, then expand by adding my own perspective and supplementary resources, and conclude with a follow-up question. As for a planned strategy, consider starting early in the week and posting a response for each student at least once. This will help encourage students to be actively involved during the week. Whatever your strategy, having a plan will help you be better prepared to participate in a substantial way.
Strategy Four: Develop a Plan for Office Hours
Do you have multiple contact methods available to your students? For most online schools, the traditional method of contact is through classroom messaging or email. Web tools like Zoom are now available and can be used for virtual class meetings. A challenge for adjunct online instructors is determining how to balance availability with other full-time responsibilities. My recommendation is to offer office hours during a time when you know or anticipate that you will be online working and available to return messages or take calls.
If you want to stick with the first strategy and personalize the learning experience, I recommend offering availability over the phone. I do this to avoid long emails back and forth, which can end up frustrating both you and the student if the message isn’t understood. More importantly, I believe this presents me with an opportunity to continue teaching course concepts on an individual basis, which can further close the distance learning gap. I remember being an online student and how I felt when I had to wait for an answer and the answer I received didn’t fully answer my question. If I had the ability to call my instructor, I would have. I know that my students greatly appreciate this extra time taken from me. Maybe you will consider it too.
Manage your disposition at all times
Making yourself visible and easily accessible to students means you’ll have more direct interactions. The benefit of increased availability is to help your students when requested, while demonstrating your care and concern for the well-being of their development. With increased communication comes the ability to get to know your students better. This also increases the possibility of conflict between you and your students, especially if you are contacted by phone and there is no direct record of what was said.
It will be up to you how to approach each situation. For example, if a student is not communicating properly, she can restrict her communication to messages or email only. I also recommend that with every phone call you receive or initiate, you send a quick follow-up message or email to serve as a record. This will provide your school with a record of the conversation. What you need to decide ahead of time is that you will maintain a positive frame of mind no matter how challenged you may feel by a student. If at any time you feel that a student has not been communicating appropriately, whether because of her tone or something else, you can let her know that you are not continuing the conversation and remind her of the Code of Conduct.
As an instructor, you should always do your best to maintain calm and emotional restraint when interacting with your students. Your willingness helps reinforce the perception that you are interested in being an active part of the class. Visibility can take many forms and includes direct interactions with your learners, whether through discussions, messages, emails, or phone calls. The potential impact you can have on your students’ progress and development is greatly increased when you make yourself easily accessible and use every opportunity as a moment to teach and learn. Regardless of the methods you use to become highly visible, make a conscious choice to participate in your virtual classroom for the benefit of your students, not just to make an appearance just for the sake of being there.
