Featured Online Presenter Interview with Magna Publications

The Guru was interviewed by Rob Kelly at Magna Publications prior to her April 6, 2011 workshop Five Ways to Improve Interaction in Your Online Course. 

Read the Communication Strategies for Online Instructors interview at Magna's site, or view the transcript below.

Featured Higher Education Presenter: Jill Schiefelbein

Join us on April 6 for Five Ways to Improve Interaction in Your Online Course, an online seminar led by Jill Schiefelbein, an online instructor at Arizona State University. In an email interview with Online Classroom Schiefelbein shared some insights on communication strategies for online instructors.

OC: What are some common mistakes that online instructors make when selecting media to communicate in their online courses?

Schiefelbein: Most instructors, and I am guilty of this as well, have so much on their plates that sometimes we don't take a step back to evaluate our course materials in a methodical and meaningful way. If it is clear to me, it should be clear to my students, right? That is often a faulty assumption that can cause confusion for everyone involved in the online experience. We also often select a medium to communicate based on how much time we have to prepare course materials. Proper planning allows for more flexibility in media choice.

OC: How much input should students have in determining how communication will occur in an online course?

Schiefelbein: As instructors, we care about our students. And while we don't (usually) allow them control over our course choices, listening to their feedback can be a valuable step in improving your online class. I often find myself asking my students for feedback as we go along in the course. For example, "What was easy to understand about the assignment guidelines?" "Did you find yourself having questions about any aspect of the assignment?" "What would make the assignment easier for you to understand?" Note that I'm not asking questions about whether or not they liked the assignment, thought the assignment was fair, or any other value-laden questions, but I am only asking questions to ascertain their level of message comprehension. This can help you target areas of your course where you can improve. (You can ask the same questions for lectures, activities, etc.)

OC: What advice do you have on assessing the effectiveness of an instructor's communication strategies?

Schiefelbein: Are there assignments that your students consistently have questions on? Do you feel your message is not being understood by all learners in your online classroom? These are questions you should ask when beginning an assessment of the effectiveness of your communication strategies. It is often helpful to get a third party to evaluate your content–one who has never seen your course material–to give you suggestions for clarity.

OC: What types of communication are most problematic in the online classroom? Are there certain types of communication that are simply not possible online?

Schiefelbein: When the communication medium chosen does not adequately address the message or task at hand, there is a good chance that a communication breakdown will occur. This seminar discusses ways to evaluate which medium is best for different types of messages so you can avoid this costly error.

Face-to-face, instantaneous communication is not possible online. We are close with many synchronous technologies, but none of these perfectly replicate the face-to-face experience. However, students today need to learn skills in mediated communication and speech to succeed in the workplace, and the online environment is a prime learning location for these skills.

OC: Conversely, what communication advantages does the online environment offer over the face-to-face classroom?

Schiefelbein: Control. With an online environment we are afforded the opportunity and time to think strategically about what we communicate. Use this to your advantage!

Connect many for the price of one

If your campus has more than one person who will benefit from this seminar, you'll be pleased to know that you can fill a room with participants and only pay one low fee of $284 per single sign-on location.

Now includes a Discussion Guide for Facilitators

Participating in a Magna Online Seminar as a team can help leverage unique insights, foster collaboration, and build momentum for change. Each seminar now includes a Discussion Guide for Facilitators which provides step-by-step instructions for generating productive discussions and thoughtful reflection. You'll also get guidelines for continuing the conversation after the event, implementing the strategies discussed, and creating a feedback loop for sharing best practices and challenges.