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I really liked Mark Edgar's suggestion of setting the tone for the course early. Presenting some material and giving an assignment that enables students to explore and internalize what the course is about. I believe that this can be combined with introduction, in the course I imagine, if the assignment can include a component of what elements of what we are going to learn is actually being used/applied at each students company.
I also want to use introductions to try and learn when students will be working on course material throughout the week. Since my course will be delivered to people who are working full-time at their company, and may have families, I want to learn if a structure as suggested in LSC 251 is suitable or if some cannot get to the class except on weekends.
Frank

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In my face to face course, I typically have the students introduce themselves to the person next to them during the first class session...name, major, any degrees they hold, jobs, volunteer experiences, hobbies, family, interest in OT etc. They then volunteer to introduce their partner to the class. I introduce myself via a history of my job experiences focusing on the different roles, responsibilities, settings, populations available to OTs. Jean P.

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One strategy to assure things are set in place correctly is to offer a survey and find out what is not being correctly communicated.  Questions like "how comfortable are you in navigating to the (various sections) of the course web page?  

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One strategy to assure things are set in place correctly is to offer a survey and find out what is not being correctly communicated.  Questions like "how comfortable are you in navigating to the (various sections) of the course web page?  

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Kyle

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My approach to the on-line course has been very structured - topic videos, example videos, "takeaway" handout, quiz and additional practice questions.  This is quite different than in my face to face courses where I feel quite free to use different structures, activities, etc. from week to week because I can explain to students in one class what to expect in the next class, or in the next couple of meetings.  But now I am rethinking the course pages for the face to face courses as well - finding a better structure for them that makes them easy to navigate while still supporting a bit of the freedom from structure I use in the meetings.

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The first part of the term is always hectic, even without assignments due. Students might watch Module 0 or do activities (like quizzes), but they really don't settle into the online course until 2-3 weeks in, when a rhythm is established. It might be a good idea to revisit some of the high points (expectations, goals, how to succeed) in a gentle way to remind them what they need to know...and also, reduce questions about that syllabus....

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In addition to a welcome letter, I like the suggestion by John Zumbrunnen (in the video above) of providing the students with a screen cast of the instructor showing the students the overall organization of the course, explaining the course rhythm, providing rationales for different types of tasks and assignments, what are the different ways for students to access course components, etc.
-peter

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I am coming in rather late (Monday), in part because in the window of time I had last week I had forgotten how to access this class (i.e., through Canvas, which in accessed through learn@uw)! So clearly, notwithstanding any repetition, I would certainly emphasize the importance of QM 1.1 with a very clear 'Start Here' flag, button, link or whatever can easily be seen. Secondly, I have always emphasized the overall structure of my classes (QM 1.2) on the first day of my in-person classes, most of which seem to be organized into three large sub-units of about 4-5 weeks each. This is largely because for history classes a major piece of writing or an exam constitute the best forms of assessment, and these must be spaced out, and include enough material to provide the basis for a 5-page essay, for example. I can add weekly quizzes or something of that nature, but how to keep 'real' essays in the mix is something I look forward to learning.

Rick K.

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I have a "Start with Why" segment of my first class meeting. I articulate both the "why" of the course and my personal "why" for caring and teaching the content. I then ask the students to articulate their individual "why" as a first assignment. I would plan to continue this exercise in an online course.

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Given that the course I am thinking of developing into an online course is primarily intended for freshmen, I am likely to get students for whom college courses/expectations, UW's LMS, and online learning are all new. This is making me realize how critically important that 'Module 0' will be for setting students up for success in the course.

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One thing I really value in my teaching is my relationships with my students, so I am very concerned about developing rapport and community within the group.  One way I plan to do this is to include an introductory video of myself, ask my teaching assistant to do the same, and if students are comfortable, inviting them to post brief introductory videos as well.  (I know we weren't supposed to duplicate answers, but coming in later in the game I wasn't able to think of anything unique to share....sorry.)

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In the online course I am developing (Conspiracies in Public Health), I have will have a content page that describes to students the rationale for my course and what I hope the students will gain by completing it. The class is an elective, so I know the students have an interest in the content. Likewise, I'd like for the students to know why I decided to develop and teach such a course.

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In the current online course I teach, I have made a narrative power point which includes information on purpose and structure of the course. This is sent out the week prior to the start of the course and includes the first assignment which is for them to introduce themselves to their classmates. Ideally, these are already in place when the class begins. Ronnie

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Both of my current OTD courses, that are taught online, have links to the following University policies: Academic Honesty and Integrity
Accommodations
Grievance Procedures
Other policies one instructor included are:
Quoting and Paraphrasing
Collaboration
Academic Dishonesty
Class Decorum
Course Communication
Rescheduling Course Activities Due To Student Absence
Netiquette
The policies and expectations are clear and serve as references if policies need to be revisited during the semester for any reason.  As an online learner I appreciate the thoroughness of the policy list.  It helps for all students and staff to be on the same page at the start of a class. Sarah Zurawski

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I am new to Canvas, and I liked that included in the courses intro emails and Module 0 there were links on how to just get started navigating the course/canvas. However, I found it a bit overwhelming to receive multiple emails with links to Canvas or this course, and various "how tos" and then again in the modules. While I know it nice to offer multiple ways of accessing various course information, I felt like it being listed in several different places was a bit confusing for myself and found my self double checking email and the modules to make sure I had gone through everything, to only find some of it was duplicate in nature.
Taiya

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At this risk of poor "netiquette" and violation of Karen's directive to avoid duplicate posting, I am intrigued by the Module 0 discussion. This is something that I see as necessary but also a huge time-suck for the students. This will be a challenge for courses that are on a tight timeline.
Dane

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Although I don't currently teach an online course, I do provide an introduction to who I am, what my hobbies are and why my training qualifies me to teach the course. I then ask the students to provide me with information about themselves, including one unique piece of information that they are comfortable sharing. For my online course, I would like to step this up by providing a video introduction about me and invite the students to introduce themselves to the course either through an introduction page like the one utilized for this course or even short 1 or 2 minute videos that they are willing to share.
Dane

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I have used a welcome letter posted within the L@UW course site for my in-person course for years.  I make sure to use language that is welcoming and relaxed, clearly indicating that I'm looking forward to teaching the course and meeting all of them.

Now...on a more embarrassing level...when I first started teaching in the mid-90s it was important to me to make students feel welcome to come and talk with me in my office. So I made up a clinical case that threaded through the semester, and then presented the case in a rhyming poem on the first day of class while dressed as the animal in question...The Cat in the Hat for a feline case, a Holstein cow for a bovine case, and Poop Doggie Dog for a canine case. The point was if I could put myself out there like that, they could certainly muster the courage to come ask questions during office hours.

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QM Standard 1.4: Course and/or Institutional Policies

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QM Standard 1.4: Course and/or Institutional Policies

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These policies were set aside within their own page in the Orientation section where the policies were clearly articulated and information about where we could go for assistance was also provided. I thought this was presented in a really clear and helpful way for us, but it was also a more thorough presentation of policies than I recall providing for students in my face-to-face courses in the past.
Anna R.

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I have found that setting expectations about discussion posts both at the start of the course and throughout the course can help build a stronger community.  I worry that they can sometimes run the risk of feeling more like an assignment - get an idea up so you can get the points for participation- so like in the first forum in this class,  I  include an expectation that students also respond to one or two other posts so their classmates know they are not just writing into the ether. Another great "netiquette" example from this course is right here: Read the other posts before you post so you do not duplicate responses.
Jill J.

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students introducing themselves is part of developing our presence as an instructor as it clearly indicates not only our interest but our value around who we are and what brings us to this course. That invitation/expectation also is a great opportunity to find commonalities and unique contributions from each student that can not only create mutual respect for each learner but create an inspiration for additional sharing that can be utilized later in the course, e.g. for forming groups whose members are likely to intersect well.
Jeanne F.

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In a recent online course that I completed (as a novice online student), I really appreciated a very clear START HERE activity (video and written introduction) that provided information about how the course was structured and how to navigate it. The START HERE activity was the first component of Module 1, so it immediately brought me to the right place, and it got me moving in the right direction. I now am currently enrolled in an online course that included a Module 0 (and the module was opened for us only a few days before the first week of the class), and Module 0 was so full of information and optional activities (optional but highly encouraged), that it required an additional 3-4 hours of time to complete during the first week of the class when I was also supposed to be completing a very full Module 1.  I actually found the Module 0 to be very overwhelming because, in addition to the time it took me to complete it, the module introduced a lot of technology that was new to me, and I felt like I was trying to learn bits and pieces of too many new things all at once. The M0 actually increased my level of anxiety about the course. While I do feel that a Module 0 could be effective, I think it is important to consider how much new information is provided to a student at one given time. I think it might also be valuable to consider ways to introduce new technology and familiarize students with course navigation,  throughout a number of early modules.
-Alexia Rebne

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Because this is the first online course I am taking I will have to reflect on my experience with this course thus far. Organization matters a lot to all of us and I love to see a clear plan and expectations from the start. I think this course did a great job of that. It may have taken a while to read through but as someone who never had that experience, I appreciated the information. In fact, I found myself making a list of all the resources thinking I should include these in my course plan. Also, I found the introductions to be very helpful. It is the first step towards community building. 

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Because this is the first online course I am taking I will have to reflect on my experience with this course thus far. Organization matters a lot to all of us and I love to see a clear plan and expectations from the start. I think this course did a great job of that. It may have taken a while to read through but as someone who never had that experience, I appreciated the information. In fact, I found myself making a list of all the resources thinking I should include these in my course plan. Also, I found the introductions to be very helpful. It is the first step towards community building. 

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N. Gillie

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There's an obvious benefit to having a hierarchical structure to any course, but it feels even more important in an online class. In other words, the content in each week/module/whatever might be different, but the activities/due dates/etc are always consistent. For example, in an in-person class, maybe there is a quiz that is due the night before every lecture (Sunday night and Tuesday night) and a writing assignment due every Sunday night. Idiosyncrasies (e.g., this week there's a group discussion, but no quizzes, next week there is a quiz and a writing assignment due on a weird day, etc.) make it much more difficult to keep track of what you need to be doing as a student. And the value of an initial Module 0 is even greater given a hierarchical structure - because the Module 0 structure will be the same as every other module - you'll need to use the same technology, in the same way, but the stakes will be low, so if there's confusion on the part of the student, they're not immediately punished.

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I'm going to focus on item 1.7: "Minimum technical skills expected of the learner are clearly stated."

I find this especially important as I teach a variety of learners. It's really not as straightforward as I'd thought it would be to clearly state these expectations. I have a "Getting Started" module for my courses that attempts to outline this, but I continually get technical and logistical questions from my students. My main challenge is that I'm relatively native to technology. I often overlook what people might not intuitively be able to complete on a computer, small computer (i.e., tablets and the in-between), or very small computer (i.e., their phones). This is an ongoing problem for me to solve, but it's an important component of meeting the QM standards.

Joe Anistranski

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Having just tried to add discussions to one of my current courses and failing miserably, I now have a better sense of the way this particular discussion board was used, how and where it was placed in the introductory material. We were directed to it as part of our reading, but there was also an initial value assigned to our participation. Before I was thinking mostly about the latter, but now I'm noticing how it was set up to produce the desired outcome and how this functioned in the timing of the first week.
Charlie

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I appreciate that this course has placed links to tech support or "how to" information strategically throughout the course. For example, "If you can't see the video, follow these instructions." Although I haven't had any technical difficulties so far, I can imagine how frustrating they might be to students. When you are in the mindset to learn, the last thing you want to do is hit a roadblock caused by an IT problem.
-Bethany

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The course we are all taking now, has given us the template to know what to expect in the course due dates & when thing open up to do.  The course also has provided clear expectations about due dates and how to upload or provide the assignments.  These are just a few examples of how our TeachOnLine class has provided a clear example of best practices for the QM Standard 1.  As a learner in the class, I already have found them very helpful!
Jenny B.

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One of my concerns with my condensed online summer course is that students may not understand the learning expectations are the same as those for the regular term "live" course and therefore will be unprepared to spend the time necessary to complete the course in the 4 week time frame. I really liked the idea of a "week 0" video that walks students though the course structure and content. This accompanied with an introductory letter will really help students set appropriate expectations.
Laurie