Late afternoon on Wednesday, I was in my hotel room in Yakima working to get my first Stephanie Plans a Class post up before my evening meeting. I knew if I didn't get it up then, it wouldn't happen until today. In my haste, I forgot to update the instructions in my copied course. This was a big error.
The first rule of online instruction (or instruction in general, really) is that any way that students can be confused, students will be confused. For those of you familiar with the ANGEL learning management system, you probably ignored my announcement that said "Click on the Class tab to get started". You knew where to go to find the content. But, for the folks who are either not familiar with ANGEL or who are very detailed about following instructions, this slight error can and did cause great confusion.
The Quality Matters rubric addresses this issue. Indeed, Standard 1.1 says "Instructions make it clear how to get started and where to find various course components." Clarity (and accuracy) are essential.
Also, it's a trust thing. Every interaction with students builds or undermines trust. Some of you read those instructions and thought, "Geesh, if she can't even tell me where to click, why should I believe anything else she has to say?" I'll have to work extra hard to build that trust back, but some folks will be so put off by that encounter that they won't come back and give me the chance. If you came back, thank you and I'm sorry for making you confused.
I read a study once that said the more experience an online faculty member had, the fewer Help Desk tickets were generated by their students. I'd also venture the instructors themselves had fewer panicked email messages from students. This is because you experience and fix every are where folks can be confused.
Student confusion can be really hard to anticipate. One tip though is to take the time to follow your own instructions. Step by step. Where could there be ambiguity? Clear that up. Even if it seems perfectly obvious to you, just say it. It usually doesn't take much time to add clarifying language and what time it does take is less than the time it will take to answer the confused questions from students.
One more note - as you're poking around my Global Studies class, note that I repeat stuff over and over. I say the same thing in 4 or 5 different places. This is all in the pursuit of clarity. The first place I would think to look for instructions is not the first place that some students will think to look. Thus, I try to put the information in every place they might look.
References:
The Speed of Trust by Steven Covey - great book. I'm nearly done and am finding applicability for its lessons in all aspects of my life. I'm listening to it on Audible - it's read by the author.
I try to repeat a lot also, but alternatively, Stephanie, I've had students complain that I had the same information in too many different places. lol I guess you can't make everyone happy...
ReplyDelete"I guess you can't make everyone happy..." So true!
ReplyDeleteI, as well, had students tell me that they wanted the information in one place that was well "marked." I decided one semester to try this out, very clearly marking information and providing an orientation video to my course, showing the folders and where the information would be. I also provided a word document with the same information in the syllabus. I designed the class with this in mind and each week, the folders and the information were always in the same place.
ReplyDeleteThis has been more successful for me, so far! I know it goes against what I have learned in workshops, but it has worked for me. Whatever we do just has to be communicated very clearly and we have to provide the consistency through out the course.
I have found there is room for individual design as long as the orientation is detailed and clear.
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ReplyDeleteI post the same information in several places as well, all of it clearly marked because as others have mentioned, you can't assume everyone is going to begin looking in the same place even if it seems an obvious place to start. I use the 'Announcements' page to repeat important information and at the beginning of each term I email all students with some general course information to get them started.
ReplyDeleteThere is a forum where general questions can be posted and I encourage students to respond if they have an answer to a question someone has asked. I suggest that when students email me with general questions (not about grades and personal issues) to also post their question in this forum as they may get an immediate response because someone else has seen it and can respond before I do.