Imagine you have eight to 15 seconds to impress someone you meet for the first time. That’s how long you have to hook your online students and make them feel welcome in your class. This is crucial for setting the tone and establishing your presence as an instructor. But how do you do this when you teach a course you did not design, have 30 plus students per section, and face your own participation requirements as an instructor?
Try the 5P approach. This is a set of five strategies that will help you create a positive and engaging learning environment for your online students.
1P: Purpose
Start with the big picture. Why are you teaching this course? Why are your students taking it? Why is it offered by the college? Knowing your purpose and your students’ purpose will help you design your initial activities in the course. This will usually take place before students have access to the class. This is a great opportunity for you to make deliberate decisions that will be impactful in aligning with your goals, and taking into account both the objectives of your students and the overall course purpose.
2P: Plan
Prepare your materials before the course starts. Think about the tone and the interactions you want to have with your students. If this is a first-year course, your tone will be different than if this is a senior level course. If this is a course designed to help students become more familiar with the process of completing an online course and learn to navigate the college’s resources, your interactions will be different with the students than if this is a course immediately preceding the completion of their degrees. It is best practice to create an announcement for each week of the course, as a minimum. Plan these out. You do not have to reinvent the wheel and start from scratch each time. As you teach courses, pay attention to what works well for you and for the students. Keep those materials. Tweak the materials you create to fit the changes in the course, discard what doesn’t work, and keep what does. Front-end loading the course materials will help you significantly in the later weeks of the class.
3P: Proactive
View the course as a student before it starts. Make sure it is easy to navigate and understand. Identify and address any potential issues or questions. Provide extra guidance and materials for difficult parts of the course. Create email templates and announcements you can send and post to help students with common challenges. It can be helpful to format this information as a “Q&A” document or a “Helpful Hints and Tips” guide. Schedule this information to post at the right times throughout the course. If you post an announcement in Week One to help with an assignment in Week Four, most of your students are going to disregard this. Timing matters. Being proactive helps your students find success in the course, but it also helps you be effective, efficient, and present.
4P: Perspective
Remember what it is like to be a student. Make it easy for them to ask and get answers to their questions. Send out emails to the class to clarify any confusion. See things from their perspective. What can you do to make it easier to ask you questions? What can you do to answer questions that students may have and are too uncomfortable to ask? If you do have one or two emails about the same issue, send out an email to the class answering that question, “I have gotten a few questions about _________, I thought I would send this out to the class in case anyone else needs the information.” Think of what your best instructors did to make you comfortable and engaged. Create a brief guide to help students find essential information and resources. Provide your contact information, information on how to locate their advisor, contact information for Tech Support, and perhaps even a direct link to the school’s library—encourage them to print it out. Use a positive, learner-focused, inclusive, constructive, and welcoming tone in every interaction.
5P: Patience
Not all students will follow your instructions, read your emails, or meet your deadlines. Take a deep breath and step away from the computer until you are in a better frame of mind. Help students with their questions, guide them to the right resources, and offer to work with them to get back on track or refer them to their advisor. Be patient and kind but remember that the student is responsible for doing the work. You can and should come alongside them and work with them to complete their educational journey, but it doesn’t help anyone (you or your students) if you are doing the work for them. Don’t take it personal if a student missed the information you sent but do reflect to see if you can make changes to communicate more clearly.
A few extra tips:
- Keep emergency contact information ready. If a student is in danger, make sure you know who to contact and how to reach them.
- Send an email to students who are doing great in the course at the midpoint. We often focus on the struggling students, but the successful ones need encouragement too. I send out a midpoint email to students who have a B or higher that says something like this: “You’re doing great! You’re halfway through the course, and your current average is ___. So often we only hear from people when we are not doing well, but we need to hear when we are doing a great job too. You’ve done a great job of [what they have done well in the course]. Give yourself a high five or a pat on the back or both! You deserve it. We have X weeks left in the course. Keep up the great work! Finish strong and email me if you have any questions.” This can be what some students need to stay engaged and motivated. Think of how you would feel if you got an email like that from your supervisor or teacher.
- Send a welcoming email at the start of the course. Make it personal and friendly. Tell them your name and what you would like to be called. Ask them the same. Give them your contact information, office hours, and the best ways to reach you. Share some things you like outside of the course (movies, hobbies, pets, travel, etc.). Ask them what type of learner they are and explain what that means (visual, kinesthetic, etc.). Ask them what they hope to get from the course and give them some options: learn the basics and move on; get a deeper understanding of x, y, z; or deep dive into the subject matter. These questions will help you provide extra resources, feedback, and examples to suit their needs and goals.
By following these steps, you can start the term off effectively and create a positive and supportive learning environment for your online students. You have 15 seconds to hook them, but you have the whole term to keep them engaged and motivated.
Think of the course as a boat, and you are the oars and the rudder. Keep moving forward!
Melinda McGuire is a health information management professional and an online instructor with a passion for combining medical data from research with applicability in real world situations that can positively impact society, specifically elderly rural populations. She has a master’s degree in American studies from the University of Dallas and is currently pursuing another master’s degree in health information management from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She has over 20 years of experience in teaching online courses in various disciplines, such as liberal arts, literature, humanities, and digital humanities. She has also earned several certifications and awards related to health care, AI, and education. She is an active member of various professional and academic associations and a student advocate for her program. She has strong skills in research, curriculum development, data analysis, public speaking, educational leadership, and computer expertise.