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Show behaviors. As a safeguard, I require this, as well. Third, it is important to respond to discussion board posts. The discussion board in the online classroom functions in my classes as a replacement for in-class discussion. According to my students, instructors often do not respond much to these discussions. Instructors may be overwhelmed by the increased workload that sometimes comes with an online class; or they may want the discussion board to be a place of free expression without comments from the teacher. I have found, however, that if instructors do not respond adequately to discussion board posts, students feel that the instructor doesn't care about their opinions. This can lead to student disengagement from the class. One student-said, "What I like most about this class in particular is that you respond to almost everyone's threads. I have never had a teacher do that before. It makes it very apparent that you are actually reading what everyone is writing." Students sometimes have a difficult time expressing their opinions and emotions in class settings. When instructors respond positively to these perspectives, students feel safer in the classroom and tend to be more engaged with the material. Fourth, instructors should grade throughout the semester and post those grades for students. Invariably there are students who don't read the syllabus and do the wrong assignments or don't get them in on time. Posting grades after a few weeks of class acts as a warning for students who are unwittingly starting to fall behind; it also provides feedback for students who aren't sure what the instructor expects. After posting grades for assignments due the first two weeks of this semester, I had many students email me in a panic. They didn't understand the syllabus correctly; they thought the discussion board post was the only assignment; they didn't know where to find the chapter assignments; etc. Most of these problems were due to their inexperience with an online course or lack of computer proficiency, so I gave them the opportunity to make up their assignments lessons | for full credit. The students were happy with the grace period, and I was happy that students turned in their assignments and became more engaged in the class. Posting grades is also important because it is more likely in an online environment that teachers somehow "lose" a student assignment. Whether it is the mistake of the student, the instructor, or the digital highway, losing student papers occurs more commonly in a digital environment. If grading is done throughout the semester, students can quickly resend an assignment or speak with the instructor if something is missed. In conclusion, the challenges and opportunities for the millennial student learning in a digital environment are many. As one student said, "Online courses give me mixed feelings. I don't know if I should love them or hate them. . . . One could argue that online courses are the best thing that ever happened to the academic world or that is the worst possible thing that could have happened to it." Depending on the instructor's preparation, the student's personality, the student's learning style, and the subject being taught, online classes can be a blessing or a bane. For me and many of my students, it's a fantastic way to teach and learn. References Bell, T. (2006). The millennial student. Commerce Bulletin, October 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2007 from www.blackboard.com/company/ Howe, N., & Strauss, W. (2000). Millennial Rising. New York: Vintage Books. Oblinger, D., & Oblinger, J., eds. (2005). Introduction to Educating the Net Generation. EDUCAUSE. Phalen, K. (2002). Self-assured, stressed, and straight: Millennial students and how they got that way. Virginia,edu, 6 (2). Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, Digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9 (5). fall 2007 13 |