Week 2 in the life of an online teacher

This is part 2 in my continuing series of blogs about the beginning of the semester.

Week 2
Many students are logged on and posting by this time. Some have logged in but may be lost.For one reason or another, they have not posted to discussions or claimed their extra credit for reading the Syllabus. So it’s time to round up the strays. If they have not done some of the required tasks, I send them an email. Here is an example:

Hi Student,

The class is well underway and you have not yet read all of the materials. I know this because there is a special surprise imbedded in the Syllabus. It is hard work to read all of this but I also promise a nice reward for doing it. It is vitally important for your success in the class. You simply cannot understand the many requirements unless you read all of the instructions.

These online classes can be quite confusing at first. You should understand that nearly everything that is underlined is a link and it usually has content associated with it that you need to read. If you click on all of the items in the Course Menu and all of the sub items then many, many other things will open up as well. Click on everything. Don't let anything get past you. Be sure to read all of the items under Syllabus!

You have not yet collected your Extra Credit. You will be very, very happy if you can collect those incredibly valuable free points!

I hope this gets you on track. Please take your time and be patient in your reading. This takes time for everyone! Please get this done right away so you can assure your best probability for a high grade, ok? The Extra Credit Amount will drop by 5 points every week. You can still claim your full 50 points if you finish this task successfully by midnight Sunday 1/31.

:-)

Best,
Dave

If the student has failed to post to discussion or has not done the first test, I email him or her about that. I use a similar tone. I am trying to convince them that this class is doable if they dedicate the necessary effort. If the student has not done the first small assignment or located the e-book, I help them.

This is an intense time for me. I will do everything in my power to wake the students up and get them on track. This works for many of them. They may have been a bit confused and a little guidance puts them on track. Most students have no idea how to convey their source of confusion clearly so this process often entails several back and forth emails for each student. This is added to my workload with the regular conduct of the class and the students who are on track.

Wow, I am busy now!

I post announcements like the following:

Hi Students,

Nearly all of you are working hard in the class and we are off to a great start!
Your first Exam is due on 2/7 at midnight. Print and follow your Class Schedule for all due dates. I recommend that you read the chapter and do the associated Mastering Astronomy Assignment before you do the Exam for the first time. That procedure will be the most efficient use of your time and it will help to prepare you.

Please remember that you can take the Exams only three times at maximum. This includes any attempts that are interrupted for any reason including technical problems, so be sure you are on a good connection. Your highest result of the three is the one that will count. Do not ask for an additional attempt because you will not get one for any reason. You will just have to depend on the Extra Credit to help you out. If you cannot get a good score after three attempts, you are stuck with the best of your efforts. You will see a different set of questions every time you take an Exam
so if you are willing to work hard you should be able to get a very good score. Remember, you have only the one week window of opportunity for each exam so don't wait 'till the last minute or you may be shut out!

Your first Team discussion is now open. You will want to check in right away, get to know your team mates and help your team decide on your name. This will be fun! Click on Discussion button and follow the instructions carefully.

If you have not yet logged into Mastering Astronomy to locate your e-book I have sent you a special email with help.We will get very busy now students so hang on tight!

My goal is to get as many students to be as functional in the online course environment as possible. The first couple of weeks is just the warm up. We are preparing to get to work and we will get going in earnest next week.