7 communication strategies for online teaching and learning gact2015

7 Communication Strategies for Online

Teaching and Learning

Scott B. JohnsonIllinois Online

NetworkUniversity of Illinois

Handy Old Saw

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4120/4903140571_18a38b2a07_d.jpg

Communication Theory

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/communication-theory

Most important element of communication to you?

Preview:

1. Spell out expectations2. Be careful of tone and form3. Regular and Consistent, with more as

needed4. Timeliness and fit5. Consider a ‘comment bank’6. Universal Design, make it accessible7. Nonverbal cues largely do not exist

SYLLABUSINSTRUCTIONS AND RUBRICS FOR ASSIGNMENTS

YOUR OWN BIO OR INTRODUCTION‘ANNOUNCEMENTS’ PAGE

1. Spell out expectations

Making Sure The Message Goes Through

Written – plain html

Audio or Video Closed captions and Transcripts

Use ‘Styles’Universal Design Principles

Will return to this point later

HEADERS, NOT BOLD

STYLESHEET COLUMNS, NOT

TABLES

IMAGES NEED ‘ALT TEXT’ AND

SUMMARIES

WHO ARE YOU?

2. Be careful of tone and form

Who are you?

Tutor?Best friend?Care-taker?Authority?

Key elements

What you sayHow you say itWhere you say itTo whomWhenWhy

Voice (yours)

Tone

Voice inflections

Pitch of your voice

Accent

Pace of your speech

Choice of words

Avoid idioms with multicultural audience

Idioms 1/2

The ‘old saw’Piece of cakeCost an arm and a legBreak a legHit the booksLet the cat out of the bag

Idioms 2/2

Hit the nail on the headWhen pigs flyYou can’t judge a book by its coverBite off more than you can chewScratch someone’s back

“Our language is funny – a ‘fat chance’ and a ‘slim chance’ are the same thing.”

J. Gustav White

First, Second, or Third Person:

First person reflects the writer's voice with pronouns such as "I," "me," "we" and "us."

Second person speaks directly to a reader, using pronouns such as "you" and "your."

Third person uses a more general voice that reflects neither the writer nor reader specifically, using words like "students" and "participants" and pronouns such as "he," "they" and "it."

http://classroom.synonym.com/writing-third-person-apa-style-2056.html

WeeklyUpon receipt of submitted workWithin ? hours/days of deadlineWritten!

3. Regular and Consistent, with more as needed

Written: "Broadcast" vs. point to point

Who can receive it?Who should receive it?Will they receive it?Personalized/Individualized

commentsInstructor’s comment bank

Written: Push vs. pull

Posting to website (pull - as in “are we pulling them in to the site”) vs.

Text messaging or emailing (push – sending messages out to them)

Written: Internal

Inside the course management system Announcements

Written: Internal

Inside the course management system Messaging system

Written: Internal

Inside the course management system Grade book feedback

Written: Internal

Inside the course management system Discussion forum

Written: External

Third-party technologies and services Security Accessibility Durability

Written: External

Wikis and Blogs Security Accessibility Durability

Email

FEEDBACK

4. Timeliness and fit

How do you feel about giving or receiving written feedback?

FeedbackFeedback is most useful when it is Timely – as soon as possiblePositive – whenever possiblePrivateSpecific – on things that can be changed

http://www.faculty.londondeanery.ac.uk/e-learning/feedback/giving-feedback

Feedback

ConstructiveTask-related, not personality-

relatedAvoid overloadSuggest resources and/or

alternativeshttp://www.faculty.londondeanery.ac.uk/e-learning/feedback/giving-feedback

Written Feedback

@Twitter

Chat in web conference

To and from learners (student-student)

Written Feedback: Accountability

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

Auditory/Verbal

Voice – http://voicethread.com/

Narrated slideshows, PPT, Keynote, Captivate/Articulate, Collaborate, screencasts or captures

Video

Attach video: wmv, mov, mp4 fileLink to http://www.Youtube.com,

http://www.teachertube.com/, or other media server offered by University

Upload videos to CMS and link to them

Have you/should you use text messaging in context of course

communication?

Are email messages records? 1/3

…some e-mail messages, or information contained within them, are considered records and need to be identifiable as such. Email messages may be considered records if they verify, authenticate or otherwise support other significant documents or transactions.

Are email messages records? 2/3

Attachments sent with e-mail messages are generally assumed to be duplicate or working drafts of documents and therefore not considered records. This assumption also assumes each person sending attachments has a departmentally identified electronic storage area for their records and the authoritative version of the attachment has been stored in said designated electronic storage area.

Are email messages records? 3/3

Because e-mail systems are generally not acceptable primary storage systems for University records, e-mail messages considered to be University records must be identified and stored in a system compliant with the requirements established by the State Records Act and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.

FAQ page – email retention policy https://www.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=1324&pageId=135177#26

YOU JUST SPLIT THE INFINITIVE. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THAT? LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS ON PAGES 44-48 OF THE WRITING GUIDE OR HERE

HTTP://WWW.CHICAGOMANUALOFSTYLE.ORG/QANDA/DATA/FAQ/TOPICS/SPLITINFINITIVES.HTML?OLD=

PUNISHMENT IS NOT THE SAME AS NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT. P IS INTENDED TO DECREASE FREQ. OF A BEHAVIOR, NR IS INTENDED TO INCREASE BEHAVIOR.ALMOST! REMEMBER TO REDUCE THE EXPRESSION TO ITS SIMPLEST FORM.

WHY DO WE DO THIS?

5. Consider a ‘comment bank’

Interactions

Engagement

Chalkboard Whiteboard Slides Transparencies Vlogs Social media PPT , or free Alternatives

DISABILITIESVisualAuditoryMotorCognitiveSeizure

DEVICESDesktop screensTabletsMobiles/Phones

6. Universal Design, make it accessible

Universal Design – Why?

Impractical to personalize to every single person in all messages

A single presentation that accommodates the widest range of people possible is the most practical

http://webaim.org/

EMOTICONS (19 SEPT 1982) EMOJI (1998)

Nonverbal cues largely do not exist online

Happiest?

Glad you asked that question?

Skeptical?

Micro expressions – based on Paul Ekman researchhttps://davesdays.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/the-invention-of-lying-and-how-to-deal-with-it-

part-2/

Student Body LanguageChristopher Carter

http://bass-schuler.com/christopher-carter-2/

Review:

1. Spell out expectations2. Be careful of tone and form3. Regular and Consistent, with more as

needed4. Timeliness and fit5. Consider a ‘comment bank’6. Universal Design, make it accessible7. Nonverbal cues largely do not exist

Thank you!

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Contact

Scott B. Johnson217.333.4393 office217-722-2093 mobileIon-mail@illinois.eduhttp:www.ion.uillinois.edu@ION_UI