USG Course Two: Improving Student Engagement & Cultivating an Online Learning Community

How to Communicate Effectively Online

By: Heather Farley, Ph.D.
College of Coastal Georgia

How to Communicate Effectively Online

Not only do you need to lay out expectations for communication, you want to be sure your students understand how to communicate effectively in the online environment. It should not be taken for granted that the interpretation of words in an electronic format will be universal. “Communicating in an online course is typically different than in a face-to-face course. You must keep in mind your tone as you may not be able to make changes once you hit send” (University of Rhode Island, 2018). While concise text is well-suited to the online environment, failure to explain one’s ideas can lead to discord in the class or discussion. Some ways to indicate tone is the use of punctuation (e.g. exclamation points) and bold, italicized, or capitalized text. Each of these methods will help convey emphasis and help readers understand your meaning. However, be careful not to give responses in all capitalized letters, as this is commonly understood as shouting in an online format.

The 7 C's of Effective Communication in an Online Course

The 7 C's of Effective Communication in an Online Course, based on an article by Melissa Venable, are a useful tool for ensuring that we are getting our ideas across in the manner intended.

Clarity: You want your messages to be clear so that fellow students and your professor can understand the point you are trying to make. Proofreading your material or even letting someone else read it prior to posting can also be useful as they may show you problem areas (i.e. areas that are difficult to understand) that you are not aware of.

Completeness: You want to ensure you are answering any prompt or assignment completely. For instance, a prompt may have multiple parts you need to address. Even after writing your response, look back at the prompt to make sure you are addressing all of the necessary components.

Conciseness: I am sure many of you have heard the phrase, “short and sweet” to refer to the ideal length of time you should speak (e.g. in a presentation). Short and sweet is the key here. You want to communicate your point completely and effectively, but remember less can be more. Most professors would prefer a shorter post that hits all of the key points than a long post that repeats the same points or goes on and on.

Concreteness: Emphasizing your main points are important. This may come by sharing images, tables, or charts. However, you could also accomplish this by making sure you have a structure that makes sense to the reader (i.e. clear thesis sentence and clear concluding sentence).

Correctness: Make sure that the message you are sending is correct containing accurate information. Utilize reliable sources when gathering research for your message. When providing this information for others, be sure your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct, as well.

Courtesy: Respecting others when communicating in your online courses is vital. Therefore, as stated earlier, re-read your post or even have someone else read it prior to sharing it with the class. This will allow you to assess that you are coming across as respectful and professional as possible.

Consideration: Who are you communicating to? You should keep in mind the recipient of your post and/or message. If you are writing a post for your class, you want to ensure you are using complete sentences. If you are texting a friend, then the same sentence conventions may not apply. Finally, as said before, proofread! Proofreading and grammar/spell-checking can really improve your success when communicating in your online course.

Synchronous Versus Asynchronous Interaction

While you are not physically present in a classroom during the course of your online class, there are still many ways to make yourself known in the online environment. You will need to utilize a variety of different communication methods and check in on students regularly to achieve an effective online presence.

As Cooper highlights, “discussion boards, emails, announcements, and forums, are just some of the ways you can be present each day in your online classroom. Since this online space is their classroom, you want students to feel as supported as possible when they’re there. By using a variety of dialogue formats, you’ll ensure your coursework caters to all learning types and allows students to flourish” (2016).

What’s the difference and what do these interaction types provide? World Wide Learn defines synchronous and asynchronous interactions as below:

Synchronous

The word synchronous means working together at the same time, and in the online learning world, chat rooms and online conferences are good examples of synchronous communication. In a chat room, people's comments to each other are relayed immediately, enabling a real-time discourse. Similarly, online conferencing with the benefit of voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) tools enable real-time conversations to take place online. Learning from synchronous communication is enhanced because real-time conversations allow people to explore, through writing or talking, the class concepts. The act of verbalizing helps students build bridges between different ideas and concepts, thus helping them retain information more effectively.

Opportunities for Synchronous Sessions

A common technology tool that instructors use for synchronous sections is BB Collaborate. This tool is typically included in your institution’s online platform and allows you to be in a live audio/video interactive chat room with your students. You can share your screen, mark up documents, and share webpages to discuss course topics. A nice feature of the BB Collaborate system is that you can also record your sessions so that it moves seamlessly from a synchronous to asynchronous communication tool. Students can easily watch your session later if they are unable to make it to your synchronous session.

Further information about BB Collaborate can be found here and several tutorials are available online:

Video: Blackboard Collaborate: A one click virtual classroom

Additionally, there are several programs that allow for live chat sessions, such as Google Hangouts and Skype. These tools allow you and your students to meet in a session that includes combinations of audio, video, and text chats. There is always the option of a live text chat through the online classroom tool as well.

Bookending your sessions at the beginning and end of the semester – Instructors may find it useful to ensure that there is an opportunity for real-time discussion at the beginning and end of the semester. At the beginning of the semester, you can clear up any lingering misconceptions or areas of confusion, and toward the end of the semester, you can help ensure that your students are prepared and clear about the end of term requirements. While at the beginning of a term it is useful to post an asynchronous welcome so students can get to know you and the course (see below), allowing students to ask questions in real time can be a useful way to reduce challenges with the syllabus or course set up early on in the term.
Pop-up sessions (a.k.a. the deep dive or the SOS session) – As assignments are submitted, and discussions progress, you may find there is confusion over a concept or topic. This is a good opportunity to hold a live pop-up session where you can dive deep into the concept and clear up challenges for your students. Doing so in a synchronous meeting helps alleviate the back-and-forth (emails, discussions) that can occur when there is confusion. It also allows you as the instructor to identify where the issue lies and redirect students.
Guest Speakers and interviews from the field – Another wonderful way to use synchronous communication is through guest speakers or interviews from the field. Just as in the traditional classroom setting, this gives students the opportunity to ask questions of speakers and gain a richer understanding of the field. This can be done most effectively through BB Collaborate.

Asynchronous

Asynchronous communication is the relay of information with a time lag. Discussion forums and email are two examples of how asynchronous communication is employed in online learning. It is very helpful to communicate in this way, because students have plenty of time to formulate thoughts. By communicating via email, students are able to respond in detail to a question or topic that they might have answered incompletely in a real-time conversation. This time lag in communication helps students internalize information by giving them time to research certain ideas or merely extra time for contemplation. The main disadvantage to asynchronous communication is time lost waiting for a response.

Opportunities for Asynchronous Interactions

One of the core reasons many students take an online course is for the flexibility it provides. You may find, therefore, that synchronous modes of communication are difficult for learners to attend due to conflicting schedules and priorities. Offering plenty of outlets for asynchronous interaction, therefore, helps to maintain clear and open channels of communication.

Within your online classroom, the Discussion tool is a popular use of asynchronous communication. In a separate lesson, there are details about how you can use the Discussion tool most effectively. In addition to discussion forums, regularly occurring announcements within the classroom help to maintain consistent communication with your students.

There are also instances when video is a useful tool for asynchronous interaction. An easy-to-use tool for recording and publishing audio/video is Screencast-O-Matic. This free online tool allows you to record anything on your screen, record yourself, or both at the same time. You then have several upload options that allow you to easily share your video in your class shell. The greatest challenge of this tool is that it can take some time to convert and upload your video. So, be prepared to do other work while your video processes.

Video: Welcome to Screencast-O-Matic

Ongoing Discussion Forum – Q&A or Ask the Instructor: Posting an ongoing open discussion forum where students can ask general questions can help reduce email inquiries. You can set this up as a “students only” section or a section where you can address questions directly as the instructor.
Quick Concept Videos: If you cannot set up a synchronous Q&A session for students who are having a difficult time with the course material, or if they cannot attend, a quick (> 5 min) concept video is a great way to address a topic. Using any video software (Screencast-O-Matic is a great free option), you can do a mini-lecture or go over something on your screen for students that helps clarify any confusion.
Bookend Discussion Forum (beginning and end of semester): Just as it is useful to have bookended live sessions with students, providing a space like a discussion forum to specifically address overall course issues (syllabus, final exams, etc.) helps to minimize your email load and provides a smoother transition into and out of the term.
Using Video Content to Share Your Personality: There are several programs available to record video for your students. Videos give the students an opportunity to connect with you more personally even if they are not speaking with you in real-time. A Welcome video is a perfect opportunity to get in front of your students right away and make them feel at ease about your commitment to communication in your classroom. Above is one possible free option for creating videos that you may find useful.

References

Cooper, S. (2016). 10 Best Practices To Be An Effective Online Teacher. E-Learning Industry. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/10-best-practices-effective-online-teacher

University of Rhode Island: Online Education (2018). Effective Communication in Your Online Class. Retrieved from https://web.uri.edu/online/effective-communication-in-your-online-class/

Venable, M. (2011, Sept. 16). The 7 Cs of effective communication in your online course. Online College.org. Retrieved on 7/9/15. [Article has been removed from site, as of 10/12/17]

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