I chose to interview a colleague at the University of Victoria. We talked about how to promote community and connection in a continuous entry course.
I asked her about her strategies, her experience, and her suggestions.
She gave me several pieces of valuable advice:
- Engage with students immediately after their entry to the course
- offer chances for getting to know a student–ask them about where they are from; invite stories; even consider doing an icebreaking exercise with them.
- Lay out the expectations they can have for your contact with them right away and show them they can trust and depend on your response rate.
- Stay consistent throughout the course and explain any decisions you make clearly.
- Provide scaffolded feedback, so that most occurs in the beginning, giving students a clear idea of your expectations.
I learned how important it is to connect with a student immediately and how a good learning environment can be created even at a distance.
I would apply all of this to my course, as I care a great deal about students feeling comfortable and eager to learn in my classes.