Communication is key!

Online courses can present certain challenges that face to face courses do not. Chief among them is that students and instructors usually only communicate electronically.  While there are some instances where online courses do provide video chat options, many do not, which means that the communication between professors and class members is left up to the keyboard in front of them.  This brings about the problem of how to effectively communicate with your classmates and instructors.  Here are a few tips to help students do just that.

1. Introduce yourself to your instructor by telling him or her a little about you.  Share this with the rest of the class if at all possible.  At GMC-Online, students and instructors can do just that through the Introductions Forum.  Participate in this.  Don’t shortcut your post. Genuinely introduce yourself by talking about things that you like, things that do in your professional and personal life, and your future plans.  It might also be wise to talk about anything that makes you nervous about the course you are about to take.
2. Show an interest in your instructor.  Ask her or him about his/her professional career, where s/he went to college, and what s/he likes about the teaching profession.  Instructors love to talk about their experiences in education, and when students ask, it opens a line of communication that can be beneficial to both parties.
3. Remember that electronic communication can be a challenging way to communicate. When you are typing an email or sending an electronic message, read it and reread it before hitting send.  Ask yourself if the person to whom you are sending the message will understand you, especially your tone and main point.  Remember that one cannot read emotion in an electronic message, so words and the way they are used are very important.
4. Be professional and polite.  There is never a situation that calls for unprofessional, rude and offensive communication. If you have a genuine concern, it would be best to ask the professor if s/he could talk via phone or video chat.
5. Remember that sometimes, certain words and phrases have charged meanings.  For example, “furthermore, for your information, and excuse me” all have earned the reputation of being words that are used when someone is in a heated exchange or when they are trying to come across as terse.  Again, read your emails and messages to make sure that the reader on the other side won’t misinterpret what you are saying.

There is no perfect course, and there are no perfect emails, but taking these points in to consideration before communicating might eliminate unnecessary problems and lead to a better course and more productive learning environment!

-Dean Jeffery Wells