Here’s a link to a blog post that briefly explains some of the techniques being used in an online communications class at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Designing an Online Communications Course to Span Cultural Divides<\/a><\/p>\n The post doesn’t go into much detail, but one of the things I noted was how the instructor purposefully employs strategies to help the students feel a sense of connection and community.\u00a0 Here’s a quote:<\/p>\n Immediacy behaviours such as \u201cStart with a smile\u201d are prevalent throughout the course. Immediacy behaviours are the nonverbal and verbal behaviours such as smiling and telling funny stories that enable people to feel socially closer to each other. Teacher immediacy behaviours have been shown to increase student learning and satisfaction.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of the biggest difficulties that distance learning students face is overcoming the sense of isolation they feel from the instructor and from other students in the class.\u00a0 What strategies do you use to help connect with your students so that they feel like they are part of a class and not just clicking through links on a page by themselves?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here’s a link to a blog post that briefly explains some of the techniques being used in an online communications class at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).\u00a0 Designing an Online Communications Course to Span Cultural Divides The post doesn’t … Continue reading