• Be explicit about how students can reach you and your teaching assistants. Let students know what response time they should expect for questions/inquiries (e.g., 24-48 hours).
  
• Establish an environment conducive to students coming to see you rather than resorting to academic misconduct if they have trouble getting an assessment done on time.
• Be available at “crunch” times before assessment due dates.
• The course shouldn’t appear like it’s running on auto-pilot. Students feel more connected to instructors who talk to them via instructional videos and Canvas Chat, as if in a one-on-one conversation.

By knowing in real-time the degree to which students understand concepts and can engage in higher-order thinking around the course material, instructors can nuance their approaches to foster learning. Audience response systems (ARS) can help with these assessments by measuring student progress toward desired learning objectives.

Ask students to share one burning question about the topic at hand—something that frustrates them, confuses them, or that they want a chance to ask you or their classmates. Before answering the question yourself, see what answers or insights the class can provide.

• At what moment in class did you feel most engaged with what was happening?
• At what moment in the class were you most distanced from what was happening?
• What action that anyone (teacher or student) took this week did you find most affirming or helpful?
• What action that anyone took this week did you find most puzzling or confusing?
• What about the class this week surprised you the most? (This could be about your reactions to what went on, something that someone did, or anything else that occurs).

Learn more and how you can import the tool directly into you Canvas course on the Using a PLUS/DELTA Assessment Technique page.

Whether commenting on a document draft online, dropping into a chat room, or acknowledging students in live sessions, make the journey with them. This environment is appropriate for the constructivist role of “the guide on the side.” Being present lets them know that you are an active part of their process.

Feedback to students about their performance is essential to keep them engaged in the learning journey.

• Quick responses to discussion posts can help keep students on track for the next assignment or activity.
• Turnaround time on the grading of assessments can also impact future student efforts. Students should never have to engage in the next assessment without receiving feedback on the previous one.
• Detailed and positive feedback tends to be more effective than faint praise or unclear messages.

If a student hasn’t logged into the course, contact them to see what’s happening. The student may need help or encouragement.

Regularly use the Canvas course “New Analytics” feature to monitor students accessing course materials, participating in discussion forums, etc. Contact low participation or no views students to encourage them to (re)engage in the course.

These touchpoints will help students feel less isolated and less likely to abandon the course.

1. Before sending the message, please explore the resources on the Campus Resources to Support Students page. Share these with your students regularly.
2. You may contact the students using Canvas Inbox. One-on-one communication between students and their instructors or advisors can be particularly challenging in a virtual environment. Instructors must follow all Federal Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) guidance on the Registrar’s Policies website. Review and bookmark the Sharing Sensitive Student Info-FERPA page outlining software approved for sharing information at ISU.
3. Convey three things in a student support email.
   1. That you care about and believe in the student.
   2. The deliverable: What is the action you require from the student? By when are you requesting it?
   3. What will happen next? (if that action is or isn’t taken).

Practice being as concise as possible. Create a template to save time!

4. If you are concerned about a student’s well-being or behavior, the Dean of Students Office is here to help! You can call to speak to a Student Assistance staff member at 515-294-1020, send an email to studentassistance@iastate.edu, or you can refer a student via our “refer a student” link at the top of the.

Just as in a physical classroom, some chitchat helps break down social barriers while creating interaction expectations. You may consider a slide that features a current event, cartoon, or trivia question to spark conversation. 

These emails’ goal is to let students know that we care about them, which we know is vitally important to student success.