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Communicating Within a Distance Learning Course
In the Distance Learning "classroom" most communication takes place through writing and reading. If your writing abilities are limited you may need to take some additional writing classes before, or as part of, your learning experience online.
Most of the communications between the student and the instructor is done via email within the course. In most cases you will communicate with your fellow students via email or through a discussion board within your course.
Some instructors will hold chat sessions during the term for online office hours which will mean that you and your fellow students can discuss class work online in real time. You may also communicate with your instructor via the telephone or even in person if the need should arise.
Discussion boards, email, and chat make Distance Learning classes a truly interactive way to learn - often more interactive than participating in a traditional class since all students are graded on their own efforts.
"Netiquette"
There are special rules of personal conduct that apply to all web-based communications. These rules are called "Netiquette". Here is a sample of some of them:
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Email and bulletin board messages should be short and to the point (although there are exceptions to this rule, such as assignments that are submitted by email or bulletin board), but usually you will be submitting assignments as file attachments.
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Always have a meaningful subject line for your email and message board contributions so others will know what to expect.
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Always be polite and respectful. It can be tempting to let yourself go in an environment that feels anonymous, but always remember that there are real people reading your messages. Good online manners are extremely important to produce a quality online learning environment.
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Be tolerant of views expressed by others. Your Distance Learning classroom may well be bringing you together with people from all over the world. Always keep in mind that you will be gaining from exposure to views and backgrounds different than your own.
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When reacting to someone else's message, address the ideas, not the person. Again, remember that there are real people on the other end of the message.
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Be careful when using sarcasm and humor, and never use any obscenities in your messages. Without the face-to-face option people may take your humor personally, and you never know who you may have unintentionally offended by an expression that is commonplace to you.
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Don't send commercial advertisement or "chain mail" to your classmates.
More on Discussion Boards
Many Pueblo Community College Online courses utilize a discussion board. This discussion board allows students and instructors to "post" and reply to text-based messages. A student can post and read messages when it is convenient for them rather than at a scheduled time.
A discussion board groups together messages that relate to the same top creating a "threaded discussion". For example, if an instructor posts a question then each student's individual reply is grouped with the original message.
Every student's response is displayed for everyone else to see. Perhaps you are interested in something written by one of your classmates; you can post a message in response to you classmate. Remember, don't be surprised if you discover responses to what you have written from several of your classmates!
Email
Email is a great way to communicate at times that are convenient both for you and the recipient. You will be using email to communicate with your instructor and classmates throughout your Distance Learning course. Email does have its limitations and it takes some savvy to use it well.
Some things to keep in mind about email:
- Always double check to whom you are sending an email. It can be embarrassing when an email that you meant for one person ends up being read by others.
- The use of all capital letters in an email is the equivalent of shouting
- Using a meaningful subject line will give your readers a clear idea of what your message is all about
- If you are forwarding another's' message, ask first! Even though you should always write your email messages under the assumption that others may see them, it is considered very rude to forward someone else's message without asking their permission.
- Misunderstandings are more common with email than with any other communication method.
Times to use the phone instead of email:
- A private conversation or phone call is more secure than email, which can be distributed to many people. Use the phone instead when security is an issue.
- Email is best for the dissemination of facts. When dealing with an emotionally charged subject you may want to use the phone instead.
- Use the phone when you are communicating with someone who doesn't read or respond to email regularly and you need an immediate response.
- The phone is a great tool when you find a topic that is hard to discuss in writing without sounding intimidating or rude.
- When you have a series of questions for someone that will take awhile to answer it is best to use email instead of the phone.
Chat
A chat session is like a classroom discussion because the instructor and students are all participating at the same time. But, unlike a classroom discussion, the students are all working in separate locations from their own computers.
As you can imagine, all of Distance Learning can sometimes be a little confusing to the new online student. A student will need to learn how to "think on their feet" (or fingers) and to type quickly to express their thoughts as they are thinking them. Chats can also be hard to follow. Since each contribution displays when its writer finishes typing, it is easy for conversations to be out of order. Experienced instructors find ways to remedy this: for example, your instructor might ask students to indicate when they have something to say and then call on them to "speak" (type) so the conversation can be more easily followed. The big advantage of chats is that they allow people in separate locations to "talk" to one another in real time.
E-Mail: distance@pueblocc.edu
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