individuals in computer-mediated groups are relatively more uninhibited.

status differences play less of a role in the online environment.

interaction in online groups tends to be more evenly distributed among group members.

online consensus decision making takes significantly longer than when group members interact face-to-face.

use the telephone when necessary

send sensitive information to private mailboxes

incorporate warmth into written text with personal details and gentle jokes

describe the setting from which you are writing (e.g., weather, the music you're listening to)

play with language by using emoticons occasionally :-)

Most online communication is asynchronous, and people don't like waiting days for responses.

Make policies clear

Set deadlines

Provide student feedback on a regular schedule

Be consistent

Be redundant---proactive is better than reactive, so send reminders to students

Keep messages short (increasing the chance they'll be heeded and decreasing the chance information will be lost).

It's more constructive to ask a person why rather than tell a person what. Inquisitiveness both reduces defensiveness and elicits information that might be useful in solving a problem.

Qualifiers (e.g., "it appears...", "don't you think that...") reduce defensiveness.

Use "I-messages"("I believe...") in place of "You-messages" ("You are...") whenever possible.

spelling and grammar is regarded more lightly in online communication.

accommodate occasional requests to work around scheduling problems.

control talk

humor

special language

an "andragogical" approach

remember that you set the tone for the communication.

don't be sarcastic.

move quickly to prevent or extinguish flame wars

don't ignore flames, but don't overreact

It eases tension (it's hard to laugh and be tense at the same time).

It sets a warm tone for the class environment.

It promotes novelty and creativity.

It makes learning fun!

self-effacing humor works well.

collect a folder of funny stories and one-liners that relate to class material.

humor should be "G"-rated.

Become acquainted with, and use, common emoticons.

they take command of their own learning

they tend to have greater zest for learning

they tend to make better use of their time

they are adults and learn differently from children

they take responsibility for their own learning

their success depends less on the subject matter and more on their leve of engagement

They are anxious and need guidance at first

They need a social context for learning

They need to experience effective online communication and teaching practices.

They need clear guidance through the online curriculum.

They need tolerance for differences.

They occasionally need extra motivation.

Online Proficiency Assessment

Online Remediation (both via tutorial files and tutoring services)

maintaining visibility

giving regular feedback

providing high-quality materials

removing obstacles to student retention

content-related (lectures, handouts, clarifications, synthesis)

process-related (order of assignments, directions for submission, descriptions of the flow of the class)

technical tips (sending attachments, URLs)

protocol guidelines (netiquette, codes of conduct, plagiarism statements)

responses to student questions

feedback on submitted work

Sending personal correspondence does not significantly enhance instructor visibility.

Public messages are the key to perceptions of an instructor's presence.  Therefore, while respecting confidential information, conduct as much class business as possible in the open.

By your visibility, you are modeling how the class works and motivating students to expand their participation.

Visibility reduces students' sense of isolation

frequent

consistent

timely

diplomatic

often evaluative

Because feedback is time-consuming, it is often helpful to develop and use templates for feedback.

Use boilerplate text when appropriate, but add personal comments to the boilerplate.

carefully edit online materials.  It is harder to clarify mistakes and typos online.

pay attention to copyright issues.  Provide URLs whenever possible rather than incorporating online content.

post materials on set dates.  This improves the flow of the class.

isolation

the pressure of the accelerated pace

competing responsibilities

technical issues

Use techniques that help reduce isolation:

            Biographies

            Chat Rooms

Monitor participation

Contact those who are not participating

provide concrete hints and other information about time management

provide regular encouragement

provide regular feedback

focus on pride of accomplishment with countdowns to milestones

Discuss with students the value of obtaining their educational goals

Help them to prioritize goals.

Provide some flexibility for deadlines

Time to respond to student questions varies inversely with subject matter knowledge

Keyboard skills can be a bottleneck.

Software applications and skills can provide major time savers.

Good database management also frees up time.

Reading efficiency is a must.

Ensure a good working environment (proper lighting and ergonomics, reasonable quiet, proper supplies).

how many times per week you expect students to be online

levels and acceptable quality of postings and responses

when assignments are due

what must be accomplished to obtain a certain grade

Solving classroom problems is very time consuming.  Better to head them off in the first place.  Problems often result from a lack of feedback to students.

Deal quickly with excessively negative students before they "drag down" the entire class.

Provide hard-copy backup whenever possible.

Instruct students how to minimize loss of files (redundancy, hard copy backup).

Use good instructional design.  Make your course modular.  Test and tweak. 

Add a dash of optimally-sized class (9-13 students for totally online). 

Blend in half a cup of online classroom organization.

Add a cup of technology expertise ("just the right amount" of technology--neither too much nor too little).

Add a cup of financial investment:  seriously consider the financial costs before you begin.

Add a pinch of understanding the limits of the method of delivery.

Throw in a tablespoon of costs of equipment and software (for school, instructor, and students).

Keep in mind the costs of connection.

Develop a profile of minimum necessary configuration.

Make it clear how tech support will be administered.

Begin with a dash of legal expertise.

Know whether your course design is in line with the standards of accrediting bodies.

Clarify ownership of the course (content, platform, etc.).

Honor others' copyrighted material.

class size

technology

class sequence and course length

well-designed course objectives

degree of course flexibility

setting the tone

Course Description and Overview

Instructor Biographical Sketch

Contact Information

Schedule of Readings and Assignments

Review of Class Policies (e.g.., attendance, grading, participation, tone, late work, exams, academic dishonesty)

Request for Student Biographical Sketches

System information, formatting, note & file management

Frequently-asked questions

diversity

absence of  time pressure for delivery

distractions

loss of nonverbal cues (if you're using audio)

provide motivation

organize and prioritize course material

function as a technology conduit

provide a model

stimulate critical and creative thinking

provide a referral base for future study