When I started to think about and develop my voice as an online educator, I asked myself, “what is my philosophy for communication?” The answer came from another question, which was “Why am I communicating with my online students? To answer this question, I had to know the result of what I want to achieve with the communication I am sending to my students. I had to think about why I need to communicate with my students and what I want to gain from my contact. Robinson, Segal, and Smith (2015) stated that “real communication is a two-way street. Not only is it the way you send a message so that it is received and understood by someone in exactly the way you intended, but it’s also how you listen to gain the full meaning of what’s said and to make the other person feel heard and understood.” The majority of online students primary contact with an institution is through their communication with the faculty.
It is essential for online instructors to communicate in ways that will support and enhance the learning experience of their students. One of my primary goals as an online instructor will be to foster a sense of community within my online class. How I communicate with my students will help me foster a sense of community in the course which helps the students feel connected to their classmates and me. As an online instructor, I am expected to communicate with my students in an effective manner. James Madison University's Best Practices for Online Course Delivery manual [PDF], advises online instructors that "a personal connection with students is more important than the technology used." Everybody is busy with the responsibilities of work, school, and family, so adding requirements to communicate, to add them, isn't helpful.
Students today have different challenges. The biggest ones are distractions. With the use of computers and cell phones, students are engaged with technology. As teachers, the trick is to use it to our advantage. The internet is a fantastic resource. We can generate web-based assignments, which get students doing their homework while surfing. From current events footage to videos and blogs, we can also use the internet to liven up our lectures. Interactivity is accomplished through synchronous communication interfaces, dynamic discussion boards, and other technologies.
My philosophy for communication is to effectively communicate, listen and to establish genuine connection with students through communication to strengthen student relationships with me as an instructor, deepen student engagement with course content, and increase their level of participation in an online class. A bit of useful advice for me to remember when I reach out to my students is whether it is" business communication, or organizational communication, is effective when it reflects the “7 Cs” of good communication: completeness, conciseness, consideration, concreteness, clearness, courteousness, and correctness" (Tomasco, (2017).
References
Robinson, L., Segal, J. and Smith, M. (July 2015). “Effective communication: Improving communication skills in your personal and work relationships.” Helpguide.org http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/effective-communication.htm
Tomasco, K. (2017, September 26). The philosophy of effective business communication (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Retrieved from https://bizfluent.com/info-7949381-philosophy-effective-business-communication.html
http://www.jmu.edu/dl/wm_library/JMU_Best_Practices_for_Online_and_Hybrid_Courses_Aug_2012.pdf
