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Show instructors might see from students who are usually hesitant to speak up in class. Students who may be shy about asking questions during class or who may not have understood an assignment can participate online...and even remain anonymous to other students. 'There are always some students who wish to be candid with comments and reactions but may be reluctant to share them knowing that their identity will be revealed. This is often the case when shy students come up after lecture and either ask a fantastic question or make a point that I wish they had shared in class. In this context, my experience with the new anonymous feature on WebCT was positive and encouraging. The popularity of the anonymous discussions was amazing to me and somewhat more interesting since the students' postings offered other perspectives and dimensions of the current topic.. .of course, it is important for the professor to remind students that anonymous blogs and discussions are not to be used for personal attacks or inappropriate postings. I didn't have any problems with that," Yaros said. WebCT also offers instructors the option to show students (privately) their grades throughout the semester, making students more accountable for their own education. Instructors are also able to upload most classroom material to WebCT, making it difficult for students to miss assignments or lecture notes, regardless of whether or not they were present during class. Make yourself (instantly) accessible to students What students are looking for is to know that they have been heard by the teacher. How many times have you sent an e-mail and wondered if the receiver has truly received it? That can be a frustrating feeling for a student. A reply that you have received the attached paper, or a quick reply to the student's in-depth question, even, "I have received your e-mail and will respond to your question as soon as I am able," are all great ways to provide immediate feedback. Although WebCT and regular e-mail serve as excellent communication tools for you and your students, they aren't as instantly gratifying as Windows Live Messenger (IM) by MSN; one form of instant messaging that has become common place in the business world as well as in academics. One business in Salt Lake, 406 Partners, has an in-house IM operation. "We use it for communicating about everything. For example if I have a question for the IT guy down stairs, I just ask him real quick. Or if [an associate] needs a Broker Price Opinion unlocked, I can unlock it for him. It's really great during quality control training when I can ask [my associate] questions about the order without screaming across the room. It's much faster than e-mail; I love that quick response time. I also love that I don't have to memorize phone numbers either, because it's all in the setup by name instead of numbers," said Katie Seegmiller, a BPO associate. Instructors could open an IM account and publish the address on their syllabi, giving students the possibility of instant communication. Even if instructors aren't available all the time via IM, they could include "IM hours," much like office hours, during which students can get a hold of them. "I love using it when the professor utilizes [WebCT]. WebCT is also a great way to get access to the syllabus and other course materials before the semester starts, so you have some idea what to expect. Also, it is nice to have a central area where you can access all of your classes for the semester, rather than bouncing all over to a different Web site for each course." lessons | fall 2007 19 |