Module 6: Communicate Clear Expectations & Gradebook Feedback (TILT)
By: Amanda Campbell, MA
University of West Georgia
"Instructors help students frequently assess their knowledge and competence and provide them with opportunities to perform, receive meaningful suggestions, and reflect on their learning . . . As the saying goes, 'if you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?' Effective instructors have high, but reasonable, expectations for their students. They clearly communicate those expectations and provide support to their students in their efforts to meet those expectations" (Chickering & Gamson, 1987).
Overview
As some of the other lessons in this module have emphasized, students in online classes can feel isolated and disconnected from the instructor and their classmates causing them to feel unengaged, disinterested, and unmotivated. Student success depends largely upon an instructor's ability to engage students in the class content through frequent and various methods of communication. When it comes time for students to demonstrate their learning, instructors must continue to communicate clearly in order to engage students. Doing so requires that the tasks that the student should complete and the expectations for final versions of student work are communicated clearly and explicitly, for students accessing the course and for those who are doing remote learning via text or email. Once students turn in the work, faculty can continue to communicate with their students by providing constructive feedback via the course grading tool, email, or text. Remember that while feedback can be sent to individuals via email and text, grades cannot. Please review the FERPA guidelines here.