1. Spell out expectations
2. Be careful of tone and form
3. Regular and Consistent, with more as needed
4. Timeliness and fit
5. Consider a ‘comment bank’
6. Universal Design, make it accessible
7. Nonverbal cues largely do not exist

Start off with providing students an orientation to your course. You can do this by a screenshare. Highlight any important details such as frequent places they will need to go to access content or communicate, such as the announcements, inbox/messages.

Spell Out EXPECTATIONS for communicating.

How will you communicate?
- weekly videos
- announcements
- emails
- discussion forums
- virtual office
- feedback
- phone calls

Who are you?

Teacher? Best friend? Care-taker? Authority?
What you say How you say it Where you say it To whom When Why

Tone
Voice inflections
Pitch of your voice
Accent
Pace of your speech
Choice of words
Avoid idioms with multicultural audience

Weekly
Upon receipt of submitted work Within ? hours/days of deadline Written!

Let students know upfront when they can expect to hear back from you on their work submissions.

7 days to grade papers? The next day?

Feedback is most useful when it is Timely – as soon as possible Positive – whenever possible Private
Specific – on things that can be changed

Constructive
Task-related, not personality-related Avoid overload
Suggest resources and/or alternatives


Policy, practice, and expectations  Retrievable?
 Accessibility?  Archived?

Comment banks can save so much time! The Canvas Speedgrader has rubrics that can even save your comments in a drop down for you to easily use with common feedback on assignments.

Online discussions keep the feedback flowing. Online learners have the opportunity to interact with their peers and share eLearning experiences, even if they live on different continents. Meaningful online collaborations can also improve knowledge retention and social learning skills. However, online learners can only reap the rewards if the lines of communication remain open. Here are the 8 top ways to spark meaningful online discussions and keep the flame burning bright in your eLearning course.

Discussion Forums within Canvas
Mix it up!
Forums
Video
Audio
Text
Images
Blogs

Happens LIVE
Record the session for later viewing for students who may be absent or tardy
MicroSoft Teams

Anytime you have a group of people gathered in one place, even if it's online, disagreements are bound to happen. It's a fact of life. Fortunately, you can minimize the impact of these disagreements by developing a conflict resolution strategy. If the online discussion escalates into an argument, it's always best to intervene and stress the importance of mutual respect. You can also encourage online learners to discuss their point of view and look at things from a different perspective. In some cases, it might be a simple misunderstanding that arose from different personal values or beliefs. This is yet another reason why supportive learning cultures are so vital. Online learners should know that their opinions matter and that their ideas are welcomed.

Different eLearning courses have different levels of social interactivity. While some make participation mandatory, others opt for a voluntary approach. Therefore, you must be clear about what online learners can expect from the eLearning experience and what you expect from them. Specify which online platforms you're using for online discussions, how often they should comment, and what their comments should entail. For example, a short paragraph response to the prompt you included in the blog post. Write a list of tips and guidelines and pin it to the top of your message thread for quick reference.

Clarify course expectations
Log in several times per week to maintain regular course presence
Provide substantive and timely feedback on academic work
Respond to questions as appropriate (public/private)
Facilitate student discussions to enhance individual learning
Challenge students to think critically
Write narrative evaluations of academic performance in the course
Submit course outcomes and grades timely

In some instances, your meaningful online discussions eventually take on a life of their own. They run autonomously and online learners take control of the online discussion. However, in the beginning you'll need to play an active role in the online discussion. Post questions, online articles, and prompts that encourage online learners to reflect. Invite them to share feedback and voice their concerns. The goal is to break the ice so that online learners become invested in the online discussion and want to actively participate. If you're working with a distracted audience, you may need to take it a step further and get controversial. Shine the spotlight on their assumptions by asking thought provoking questions. Highlight current eLearning course points that are debate-worthy.

Sometimes the best way to get online learners involved is by giving them a choice. Provide a variety of discussion prompts where the learner can choose an option to respond. They may reply to two out of four questions as an example, and then set it up where they post on a certain day of the week, and must reply to two others by another day. Keep this consistent. Invite online learners to join the meaningful online discussion and highlight the benefits. Share the guidelines so that they know what to expect. If online learners are perpetually absent, send them a private message to check in and figure out what's holding them back. They may just need a gentle push to jump into the online discussion.

Every forum, blog, and social media post should focus on a specific topic. There are two key reasons for this. Firstly, it prevents cognitive overwhelm. Secondly, it makes it easy for online learners to respond or leave their eLearning feedback. Going off on tangents or trying to cover too much subject matter will only lead to confusion. Aside from this, you should also moderate ongoing online discussions to ensure that they are on-topic. Get them back on track by asking relevant questions or pointing out the key takeaways. For example, drawing their attention to a surprising stat or fact they may have overlooked. You can find ways to connect the material and ask the student to discuss it as it relates to them personally.

There are people who love interacting with large groups. In fact, they thrive in online social environments and look forward to lively debates. Then there are those who need more personal interactions. The thing to remember is that people who enjoy bigger online groups will still be productive in smaller groups. But introverted online learners are less likely to participate in open forums. As a result, you should create smaller online groups based on the eLearning topic, course, goals or online learner interests.

Ask a different online learner to co-host the online discussion with you each week. Invite them to create a post or question that sparks a conversation. This gives them the opportunity to share experiences and knowledge with their peers. They can also learn about different perspectives or get eLearning feedback that helps them improve. If you are turning the tables, make sure to set some ground rules and assign topics well in advance.

Meaningful online discussions can also help you assess learning comprehension and research the strengths and weaknesses of your eLearning course design. In fact, one of the advantages of online discussions, social media groups, and other collaboration tools is their versatility. The possibilities are endless when it comes to their eLearning applications.

There's nothing like a lively online discussion to get the ideas flowing and igniting the creative spark. But how do you offer your online learners the chance to interact with their peers in eLearning environments? The answer is through eLearning forums, blogs, social media groups, and other collaborative online platforms. Here are 7 helpful tips for starting effective online discussions in your eLearning course.

The "ice breaker" page takes introductions a step further. Create a list of ten questions or prompts that newcomers must answer. For example, asking them about their favorite book or quote. It may seem trivial, but it gives online learners the opportunity to get to know their peers. Of course, the questions shouldn't be too personal or intrusive. The point is to find common ground or similar interests that lead to meaningful online discussions. An online learner notices that one of their peers likes the same hobbies. That breaks the ice and sparks an online conversation. Before long, others join the online discussion and form a deeper connection. When it's time to talk about the eLearning course topics, they are already familiar with the people in their group. Thus, they are more likely to open up and actively participate.

Again, nothing too controversial or divisive. Your thought-provoking questions should encourage online learners to reflect and discuss the topic, not create a great divide. Open-ended questions are usually best, as they exercise lateral thinking skills. There is no right or wrong answer, and everyone gets the chance to share their thoughts and insights. These eLearning questions allow every member of the group to explore their own cognitions and see things from a fresh perspective.

Sometimes it just takes a bit of kindling to ignite the online discussion. I refer to them as "conversation starters". It might be that online learners don't know what to talk about or are uncomfortable starting the online discussion themselves. In other words, they need an idea seed to get the ball rolling. This may be in the form of a writing prompt or even an eLearning activity that leads to an online discussion. For example, a branching scenario featuring controversial topics or characters that online learners can discuss.

Online learners need to know where they can interact with their peers. Otherwise, they won't be able to be part of the online discussion in the first place. Thus, it's important to create a list of the online discussion platforms learners can use throughout the eLearning course. For example, a link list that includes your blog site, online forum, and social media groups. You should also direct them to the proper online discussions platform at the end of each eLearning activity. If you want them to respond to a prompt after reading a passage, embed the link to the relevant blog page. One of the hurdles that often stands in the way is ambiguity. So, point them in the right direction and tell them what they need to do to spark the online discussion.

Community
Student Lounge
Help Forum
Virtual Office
Discussion Forum/Reflective Exercises

You don't want to run out of topics halfway through the eLearning course. Likewise, you want to give your online learners time to reflect on the ideas. A subject matter schedule checks both boxes by giving you a roadmap to follow. Create a "post" calendar that highlights every writing prompt or subject that you'll cover in the upcoming weeks or months. Also include eLearning assignments, activities, and online modules that correlate with the talking points. There are plenty of free online scheduling tools where you can post group reminders, such as Google Calendar. Just be sure to update it on a regular basis to reflect any changes and keep your online learners informed.

One of the most effective ways to spark an online discussion is to make it mandatory. However, once the word "mandatory" shows up in the eLearning course description motivation is sure to plummet. Which is why you should tie the online discussion into an eLearning assignment. It's a more subtle approach that also increases online learner participation. As an example, invite online learners to watch an eLearning video or listen to a Subject Matter Expert's podcast. When they're finished, provide them with a list of questions or talking points that they can discuss online. Alternatively, you can post writing prompts on your eLearning course blog that online learners must answer each week. Their peers then have the chance to leave replies and ask questions regarding their response.

I save the most important tip for last, and it serves as a foundation for your entire online collaboration strategy. It's essential to clarify expectations and goals before you spark the online discussion. Develop clear guidelines for how online learners should participate, how often, and why. They need some incentive, and knowing the benefits can increase their motivation. Post the online discussion netiquette on your main blog page and pin it to the top of your eLearning forum thread. If an issue arises, online learners can refer to these guidelines to solve the conflict and get back on topic. Lastly, appoint a moderator who can oversee the online discussion and keep tangents to a minimum. They can also serve as a support online resource for newcomers who need help getting started. For example, if they have a problem logging into the online discussion platform or don't know how to reply to a comment.

Are you ready to spark the online discussion and increase learner participation? With these 7 tips, you have the power to get your online learners involved and interacting with their peers. Regardless of where they are or what they need to know, online discussions can offer the support and feedback they require.

Proper etiquette is nothing new for most people. You grew up with your parents constantly telling you to mind your manners. But in a digital age where the unwritten online “rules” are constantly changing, proper netiquette may seem a bit mystifying. Add in the atmosphere of an online classroom, and suddenly the proper netiquette guidelines don’t seem as easy as a simple “please” and “thank you.”

As you might have guessed, netiquette is essentially rules and norms for interacting with others on the internet in a considerate, respectful way. We enlisted several experts to set some guidelines to make sure your online manners are up to par.

There’s a time and a place for everything—BUT IN MOST SITUATIONS TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS INAPPROPRIATE. Most readers tend to perceive it as shouting and will have a hard time taking what you say seriously, no matter how intelligent your response may be. If you have vision issues, there are ways to adjust how text displays so you can still see without coming across as angry.

Sarcasm has been the source of plenty of misguided arguments online, as it can be incredibly difficult to understand the commenter’s intent. What may seem like an obvious joke to you could come across as off-putting or rude to those who don’t know you personally. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid sarcasm altogether in an online classroom. Instead, lean toward being polite and direct in the way you communicate to avoid these issues.

Yes, grammar and spelling matter. While texting, textspeak can b gr8 4 ur friends. In an educational setting (even online) however, keep it formal. Your written communication should be professional and reflect proper writing style. Save written shortcuts and less than stellar grammar for Snapchat if you must, but follow grammar rules for school.

Forgive and forget. If you’re offended by something another student says online, keep in mind that you may have misunderstood their intentions. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

Respect others’ privacy. Don’t give out another student’s personal email address without permission.

Use emoticons. In casual chatroom settings, emoticons can help convey feelings that may otherwise get lost in translation, including humor, exasperation, exhaustion and even confusion.

Lack of models for substantial discussion posts
Tendency to stay in comfort zone
Lack of probing questions
Lack of clear expectations
Lack of assessment and feedback
Perception that discussions are not important in the course