Communication & Interaction Plan

Communication and Interaction Plan

The purpose of this plan is to reflect on and actually articulate communication and community building strategies before you begin teaching. Think about your teaching/learning and assessment strategies as you plan your communication and community building strategies.

The teach/interact phase of your course design consists of:

Designing and developing a course orientation and/or introduction so that your students will have a chance to get into the course and develop a comfort level with the environment
Providing tools tutorials or special other support resources such as library links or writing center links if needed
Developing a communication plan or criteria list, and
Most importantly facilitating the course

You can use the template below that contains some ideas that might be useful for you in your course. You can add to, delete what is there or customize ideas to help you add interaction and communication customized for own course design. Everyone’s plan or criteria list will look a little different based on the type of course you are designing, the type of students taking the course, or your own ideas about the best way to interact and communicate with your students. The bullet points under each strategy are there to help you think about and remind you about what you might need as you build your course. After, you will have several ideas of additional strategies, tools, course components, and support resources that you can add to your course to help students in your course beyond the level of content.

You can use it like a checklist or just a planning document to help you make sure you have covered all the bases for those logistical issues you will encounter as you teach online. You do not need to answer each of the questions below, but use these question prompts to think about your own course.

The plan you establish should include each of the five strategies below and how you will address each of the five strategies in your course.

Communication and Interaction Plan Template

Strategy #1 - Clearly define the preferred communication methods and channels so that students and instructors can communicate

Look at your alignment grid and see if you will need special communication strategies you will need to include for your students based on your assignments and assessments.
How will you plan to have regular contact with your students about assignments and course announcements? Will you use the messaging system, announcements, and/or external email?
Will any of your assignments require additional communication strategies?
Are you teaching a hybrid course? How will you communicate the expectations and schedule for the online and F2F pieces?
- Some canvas tools you might consider are:
- The messaging system
- Announcements
- Discussion forum FAQ boards
- Weekly chat or virtual office hours
- Skype
- Wimba or something similar (See Vogh)
- Gradebook feedback & other tools
  - Consider which tools you can use for confidential communication versus public communication & open communication
  - Clarify your communication plan in your syllabus

Strategy #2 - Support each other and learn in a social environment

Did you include an icebreaker or introduction activity so students can learn a little about each other and feel comfortable interacting with each other?
What strategies can you use to help students see the online course as a social environment so they do not feel isolated in cyber space?
Do you plan to release content so students stay together as they move through the course or is it a self-directed course?
Is it important for you to have student interact and share?
Will you use peer assessment or student-to-student feedback on any of your assignments?
How else could you set up a social learning environment based on the particulars of your course?

Strategy #3 - Take the time to lay out the rules for online teaching and learning so that students will know what to expect

Have you included a section in your syllabus about expectations for participating in an online course?
Will students take an online learning readiness survey?
Do you need to use a pre-course survey to determine student levels of knowledge or expectations before coming into this course? – This is more difficult to determine in an online environment.
Do you need to include a netiquette blurb or activity to teach students about online expectations (may depend on your students)?
Are you clear on grading deadlines? How will you handle late assignments?
Will you be providing examples of student projects for your students?

Strategy #4 - Provide opportunities for community building where students regularly interact with other students, materials and the instructor(s);

Did you provide opportunities for students to get to know each other before jumping into the course content?
How are you requiring students to communicate with each other (in discussion forums, in groups)?
Are you planning to use groups? How will you form groups? How will students use groups? Will you grade as a group? Include individual grades?
Will students be sharing experiences and opinions?
Are you requiring they respond to each other in the discussion forums?
Will students be only using materials you provide or will you require they contribute materials and resources to the course and hare with peers?
How informal or formal will you be as an online instructor?

Strategy #5 - Make it clear to students where to turn for technical support.

What type of resources are you providing in your course to help students navigate in the course?
Do you need to provide additional resources such as library resources, e-reserves, technical tutorials, writing resources?
How will students contact you if they have a problem?
Have you offered multiple means for discussing problems (email, Skype, in person)?
Have you provided phone, email and website info for TLT or the help desk? Is it in your syllabus?

Adapted from D. Ziegenfuss Communication & Interaction plan posted in CTLE 6510