There are some specific guidelines that instructors are encouraged to follow when teaching online, in order to be effective communicators. As you prepare to teach an online course, be sure to have a plan in place to do all of the following:

List your contact information within the "Instructor Information" page linked off of the course home page. View example.
Offer multiple communication modalities for students to contact you (e.g. phone, email, Q&A discussion forum, virtual office hours, etc.).
Provide clear expectations concerning your availability and approximate response time.
- Response Recommendation: 24 hours during the week and 48 hours during weekends.
Outline expectations regarding communication in your course.
Provide a link to the Netiquette and Zoom Etiquette guidelines.

There are also effective communication behaviors that you should exhibit:

Be actively involved throughout the semester and demonstrate presence through meaningful engagement with students.
Display enthusiasm and use an appropriate tone that is energetic, positive, inclusive and encourages a growth mindset.
Model respectful communication and explain that appropriate behavior and decorum is expected regarding all written, spoken or video communications posted to the course site.
Post announcements regularly throughout the course (e.g. weekly introductions, end of week summaries, impending due dates, etc.).
Provide at least one instance of video content per week (e.g. weekly introduction, brief topical lecture, summary of previous week's learning, etc.), paying close attention to appropriate length and size."

On the next page, we'll explain specific communication actions that you should take at various points leading up to, during and after teaching your online course.