Communication Expectations in Online Learning
Communicating online requires thought and planning to relay information, meet course deadlines and share ideas. Here are a few expectations for communicating in an online environment.
Online students should:
- Be proactive by checking communications daily.
- Participate, participate, participate! The most successful online students access their online courses daily to complete activities and respond to discussion questions to stay actively involved in the learning process.
- Don't be shy. If you have a question, concern, comment or suggestion, make sure you speak up. Even though you can't raise your hand as you would in a traditional classroom, you can send an email to your instructors or post a message to a discussion board. It is your responsibility to communicate with your instructors when you have a question or issue that needs to be addressed.
- Follow the general principle of online netiquette, a set of rules or common courtesies for acceptable online behavior.
- Most importantly, check your course's syllabus to see what expectations and policies the instructor has set around communication.