This post was written by Ross Bresler, Professor, Liberal Arts. He is the course co-author and faculty for the online course, “LAHS-233 Themes and Variations in Western Art.”
I have taught “Themes and Variations in Western Art” successfully to on-campus students for two semesters and here are my proven tips for success:
- Make contact with students early and often. Students often have trouble organizing their time when taking an online course. It is easy to lose students who miss a few early assignments.
- Become human. Even if your class is fully online and not blended, do what you can to make yourself a real person and not a machine to your students. This can take the form of video chat, recorded video messages, photos, or setting out time for coffee with local students.
- Communicate to the individual and the group. Develop a weekly rhythm of individual comments sent to each student, as well as a weekly message to the group laying out the progress of the course such as where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. This establishes both a series of individual relationships and a sense of community.
You can read more posts on Digital Learning here:
https://www.blogs.berklee.edu/category/digital-learning/