Teaching students in a virtual environment is a challenge, in that you often don’t have the typical “first day of class” where many expectations and questions are answered. Consider using a technique with which most of your students are very familiar – develop an FAQ list!
When planning your course, think about all the questions learners usually have the first week of class. Compile a list of these questions and responses and post in the course before the first day of class. This can be a Word document that is linked from the syllabus. Encourage all students to read the FAQ list prior to the start of the course. Continue to add to the list as learners pose new questions and update periodically. Over time, you will be surprised as to how comprehensive this list will become. Not only will it cut down your workload during the course, it will be available to your students at all times. What you will find in fewer e-mails and more time to focus on the real issues, such as student learning and performance!
Remember, encourage independent behavior. When a student asks a question that is on the FAQ list, refer him to the document. Don’t be tempted to answer!
Be sure to check out my last blog post where I talked about setting assignment expectations for your students.