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TIP 2: Build a Supportive Online Course Community

If you have participated in our GVSU  Foundations of Online & Hybrid Course Development training, you will have learned about the Community of Inquiry Model and the importance of designing your course so that there are equal opportunities for faculty to student interaction, student to student interaction and student to content interaction. 

How do you do this?

• Faculty to student interaction can include things like video announcements, weekly announcements and email reminders, personalized audio/video content, and detailed grading feedback. 

• Student to student interaction includes opportunities for personal introductions, discussion board forums for casual dialogue and posting of course questions, as well as small or large group discussion, as well as opportunities for peer review and feedback. 

• Actively and continuously monitor students and their performance with the last login date in the Grade Center, Performance Dashboard, Retention Center, or even by using Grade Center cell colors. Use these resources as an early alert and as opportunities to reach out and provide feedback to students around their performance. These tools can be very effective in determining whether any students in your class are falling behind or neglecting to check Blackboard regularly. Intervene early on, so they get back on track quickly.