These traits make online teachers successful

Primary Topic Channel:  Conferences

What are the qualities that help instructors succeed when teaching online? That was the focus of a lively discussion at the 14th annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning Nov. 6.

Presenter Bill Phillips of the University of Central Florida discussed findings from his research on the topic. Not surprisingly, he said, successful online instructors share many of the same characteristics that successful teachers in traditional classrooms exhibit--but they also spend a lot of time establishing a persona of approachability and ensuring students' comfort in the course.

Online instructors face a number of challenges that traditional, face-to-face teachers don't have, Phillips noted. For one thing, students and their instructors can't see the visual clues that often help us understand the meaning behind another person's words. Humor is hard to pull off online, he added, lest it be mistaken or misunderstood. Also, communicating primarily through writing takes more time, and the technology itself can create a barrier to learning.

Phillips studied four undergraduate faculty members who were considered successful online instructors, based on factors such as their students' grades and course evaluations. He interviewed them extensively and also observed their online teaching.

He said all four demonstrated the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" (Chickering & Gamson, 1987), which are:

- Encouraging student-faculty contact;
- Encouraging cooperation among students;
- Encouraging active learning;
- Giving prompt feedback;
- Emphasizing time on task;
- Setting high expectations; and
- Respecting diverse talents and ways of learning.

But the successful online instructors also exhibited what Phillips called "swift trust," a term taken from the military. "You have to exude authority ... and gain students' trust from Day One or before," he explained, noting that all four instructors he observed shared this characteristic.

One way online instructors can establish this trust right away is to send a note to students individually before the course starts, introducing themselves and setting clear goals and expectations. The note can be warm and informal, but it must be clearly written.

Phillips said the teachers he observed were all effective writers, used humor judiciously, spent long hours online, provided a lot of feedback, and were caring, compassionate, flexible, creative, and organized. In addition, they created a lot of redundancy--that is, they posted directions and reminders in many places throughout the online course environment, to make sure students understood their assignments and what was expected of them.

"An effective online persona is critical for the successful online teacher," Phillips said. He urged administrators to prepare their faculty members for the challenges of teaching online before they jump right into the course.

Phillips also prompted attendees to think about their online personas, and whether these match their face-to-face personas. They don't necessarily have to, he said--but if they don't, why not? What online persona are you trying to project--and would students describe it the same way you would?

One conference participant, a young woman, said she felt the need to create what she called a "power distance" between herself and the class when she taught in a face-to-face setting, to establish her authority--whereas in an online setting, the opposite was true: She worked to break down this sense of distance.

Indeed, much of the rest of the discussion focused on how instructors can overcome the barrier of distance when teaching online.

One participant recommended using an informal tone in your online interactions with students, to contrast with the formal texts they're reading and to develop a rapport with them. Another said she uses the word "we" a lot, as in: "We will journey together..."

Participants also said they begin many interactions with the words "I understand..." One said she sends an initial greeting to students with this very theme; for instance: "I understand how hard it is to be an adult learner..."

Some participants said they've had success recording and attaching short video responses to students' questions, using the software that comes with their built-in web cameras. Making these brief answer-videos is quicker and more personal than typing a response and can convey the tone much better than a simple eMail message, they said.

Lisa Macon, an instructor at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Fla., said the best feedback she's gotten from students in her online courses has come when she's adopted this approach. "It makes it seem more like a regular class," she said.

Phillips agreed, though he cautioned attendees to make sure they're complying with their institution's policies for meeting the needs of disabled students. Adobe's Captivate software automatically adds closed captioning to a video, one participant noted.

Links:

University of Central Florida College of Education

Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning

Note to readers: 

Don't forget to visit the Online Learning for High School Success resource center. Preventing high school dropouts has become a key focus of education stakeholders and government officials across the country, as the skills taught in high school are imperative to students' success. But with online credit recovery programs and virtual learning becoming more accessible to more students, many are able to regain momentum and graduate with high school diplomas. Go to:Online Learning for High School Success