Establishing and Maintaining a Presence in your Online Course
Establishing a Presence
• The Early Email (texts, grading, papers etc)• 2nd Week Orientation (short and to the point)• Email contact with students that missed
orientation and office visit• Spell it out and repeat (keep reaching at
regular intervals)
Getting Students To Know You’re Around
• Regular emails (perhaps just after due dates)• Quick reply to student emails• Virtual office hours• Phone visits• Off-schedule office hours• Quick turnaround on grades and comments• Early alert system emails• Emails to advisors
Email Protocol
• Several short emails rather than one long message
• Spell it out (more than once)• Group emails (for general information)• Individual emails (assignment tips)• Grade discussion only in person
On Campus Events
• Midterm orientations• Student-led help sessions (with or without
instructor presence)• Concerts/Readings pertaining to the course
content or not• University Day events• Coordinate with Learning Resources/Writing
Center• Make the big paper a big event
Online Interaction
• Discussion board postings• Student groups (Blackboard)• Encouraging students by sending their work
around (particularly with essay writing)• Learning Communities (informal or not)• Online Resources• Tie in MLA Style Guide or Elements of Style
