Introduction

Some of you, no doubt, have already taught online classes for a while, as hybrids or in a totally asynchronous format. For others of you, this may be the first time you are teaching a totally asynchronous class in the Online BA program. We would like, first, to address the central question that always seems to emerge at the beginning of an online course: As the instructor, how does one create a sense of community online? To start, consider how this communal sense is often built in a face-to-face class. On the first day, the instructor may introduce herself or himself, may...

A. As the instructor, how do you build “...

To get started in an online course, you may want to think about what kind of persona, or voice, you want to have as an online teacher. The first thing to do is to build a “presence” in your online class. Here are some suggestions for ways to do it: 1. Send a “Welcome” email. Even before the course starts, send an email introducing yourself, welcoming students to the course, providing tips for getting started, and/or informing them as to how to access helpdesk resources. You might also provide them with alternate methods for reaching you in case of an “emergency,” such as,...

B. As an instructor, how do you create t...

Interaction in an online classroom does not happen naturally but must be learned and developed. Since, in all fully asynchronous online courses, posting becomes the functional equivalent of attendance, posting on various class and group Discussion Boards is the heart and soul, the very life-blood of an online course. At the beginning of the semester, particularly in the first two weeks, you will need to create an engaging and encouraging environment for students, especially since some of them may be taking an online course for the first time. What follows are some useful...

C. As an instructor, how can you sustain...

Creating community in an online course environment is often one of the instructor’s priorities as the new semester begins. However, maintaining and continuing to build community in the class throughout the semester is equally important. Here are some helpful tips and techniques for maintaining the community among students in your online courses. 1. Establish a Chat Time. In addition, or as a complement to, the “Class Lounge,” create some “office hours” when students can drop in or invite students to contact you for one-to-one appointments. 2. Be available and accessible....

Welcome!

On this site, you will find materials to help support the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative of the CUNY Online Baccalaureate program. For those instructors new to WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum), this is a CUNY-mandated program (1999) requiring that informal (ungraded) and formal writing become a robust and integrated aspect of course-work at all levels of instruction. Each campus’s WAC coordinator is assisted by 2-6 Writing Fellows, who create writing materials and work with faculty members to achieve these goals As your Writing Fellows, we are here to assist...