#1 - Provide prompt feedback and be available: interactions are an essential element of a community. As a result, instructors have to make sure to constantly answer questions and grade assignments and papers. In addition, professors should frequently communicate through emails and/or also conduct online office hours. This also applies to instructional designers as they have to be available to help their faculty. Creating multiple and diverse points of contact will encourage motivation and involvement.  

#2 - Sufficient time and chances for interactions: it is important to design the course in a way that prompts sharing of personal opinions. Role plays, peer introduction exercises, group projects and debates are a few examples of instructional designs and strategies for the course.

#3 - Incorporate video(s) into the course: as humans, we sometimes prefer to listen and see rather than to read, and this is usually missing in online classes compared to traditional classes. As a result, instructional designers should encourage their faculty members to incorporate videos into their lectures, and also try to deliver audio/video feedback to students on their assignments, instead of delivering written notes.

#4 - Peer-review course quality process: In order to maintain reciprocity and cooperation, and improve instructional development and practice, faculty can engage in peer-review process through course evaluations, feedback surveys, or student focus groups.

#5 - Importance of time: Common instructional requirements for an interactive online class are 24-hour response rate, grading within 3-5 days, and a certain number of postings within the discussion forums. Although, these may be useful, they increase faculty’s workload which then affects the quality of engagement. Instructional designers can provide better ideas and tools to manage workload and use time effectively, e.g. use of grading assistant models or conduct workshops on how to create feedback rubrics.

#6 - Instructor Modeling: students best know what is expected from them through explicit instructor modeling where the instructor sets out an example for them. For example, in order to encourage student participation in discussions, the instructor should actively participate as well and respond to students’ opinions. This also applies to instructional designers when conducting professional development workshops.

Kinjal Chheda, Intern (under the guidance of Amanda Major, Ed.D., Associate Instructional Designer, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida)

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Dear ADDIE,

Looking across the higher education landscape, I see a strong and growing focus on student success as a holistic approach by faculty and staff from across the campus. At my large, metropolitan university, there are many student services and support resources designed to support students’ retention, progression, academic success, and completion, both inside and outside of the classroom. In fact, when the global pandemic hit in spring, it was impressive to see how these services mobilized to ensure that students had the resources and supports that they needed to successfully continue their academic journey.

As a newer, online faculty member, I wonder how I may be able to engage more, both with and for my students, and to support them even beyond my classroom. Do you have any tips or suggestions as to how online faculty can become more involved in serving students in online programs?

Signed,

Eager to Engage