Keep Students in the Loop

In this age of competing technologies and short attention spans, it can be difficult to communicate effectively with our students in class, much less outside of class.

Have you ever left class and then realized that you forgot to tell your students something important? Well, when that happens, you probably turn to D2L News or Office 365 email as a means of passing on that information.The unfortunate part occurs when students do not check these services for updates or information, and only half of your class gets the message.

Many of you who teach part-time for us also work elsewhere. Sometimes, that means that you are rushing to get to class on time. Other times, you may get sick and need to cancel class. Students will get the information from signage or emails, but most of us have heard students complain: "I drove all the way here and I don't even have class" or "I never got that email."

Remind.com is an excellent way to prevent miscommunication and keep students in the loop. Remind uses texting, through assigned numbers, to directly send messages to students' phones when an instructor needs to relay a message. The students may respond to the instructor immediately or text the instructor to initiate conversation. No real phone numbers are provided to students or teachers, and teachers can even opt out of receiving replies or texts if they so choose.

As an example, this semester in an 8 AM class, an instructor set up a class on Remind and pulled up the registration instructions in class on the projector. The students all signed up, and the before the next class period, the instructor had received 6 texts from students, ranging from "I'm running a few minutes late" to "I can't find the homework assignment." If this same instructor gets behind a car accident on the way to work, she can text her entire class and tell them to wait or even give them an assignment. If the instructor needs to tell one student something, she can text that individual immediately. The same applies if the instructor needs to miss class due to illness.

Students are much more likely to respond to and use text messaging than they are email. Consider the number of hours they look at their phones over the course of one day. They could be using some of that time to find out more about your class!

Other technologies exist that work in similar ways to Remind. As long as you are getting the message to your students in a timely and effective fashion, that is what matters.

Help Our Students Get Off to a Good Start

Help our students get off to a great start this fall! Some studies suggest that students make up their minds about a class and instructor within the first few minutes of class. If this is the case, then we must be sure to make an excellent first impression. Students want reassurance that their instructors will be knowledgeable, approachable, caring, effective, organized, and prepared. Before the first day of class, you should have a few key materials.

WebAdvisor Class Rosters: Print your rosters from WebAdvisor repeatedly over the first week of classes. Rosters change frequently, and correct rosters ensure that you are recording attendance and processing never attended and withdrawn students promptly.

Course Syllabi and Addenda: Students deserve to know what is expected of them from day one. Make sure they have access to the college-mandated course syllabus and your instructor addendum no later than the first day. Remember that the college has a mandated template for the addendum, as well.

Course Schedule: Students also deserve an idea of how the course will be organized. Give students access to a course schedule (as detailed as you see fit) no later than the first day of class. It is okay to make revisions to the schedule as the semester progresses.

D2L: Students will see their courses in D2L at midnight the day classes start. A good first impression includes what they see when they click on your course. Is it ADA accessible? Is it well-organized? Are the materials uploaded? Have you set up the grade book and attendance roster?

Icebreakers and Introductions: Students want to know that you are a real person who cares about them. One way to establish early connections is through an icebreaker activity. The bottom of this post lists some links to fun icebreakers. Not only do they want to know other students, but they also want to know you. Decide on what information you are comfortable sharing and establish clear channels of access and communication. Icebreakers and introductions also help you learn names faster, and we all know how important knowing their names can be to student success and engagement.

If you need any assistance setting up your course or class materials, the coordinators and department chair are always available. If you would like to utilize the D2L ADA Accessible course shells for your course, please email one of us, and we will import the shell into your course. Additionally, never be ashamed to ask for help, resources, or materials from any of the faculty in the department. We could not reach our students without your help, so you are an invaluable part of our team.

Icebreaker Resources:

Lancing Community College Icebreakers

Faculty Focus College Icebreakers

Ohio State Icebreakers

Cengage Icebreakers