Page 4 - Distance Education Best Practices

• Ensure students are provided an orientation to the technology
utilized in the course and learning management system. This can
be done live or via a video demonstration.
• When possible, instructors should provide a screen capture to
visually walk students through the course to familiarize students to
the layout and more easily access course information.
• Identify all the technical requirements required for course
completion in the syllabus. Identify if special software or computer
specifications are required.
Course • Instructors and students need to assure they are speaking the
same "lingo" when giving instruction, directions, or
Technology troubleshooting problems. Instructors and students have a variety
of familiarity regarding technology. Make sure that both parties
have the skills to communicate effectively. Instructors may consider
providing a glossary of terms that may be used when referring to
distance learning technology, i.e., web browser, courseware,
streaming, video conferencing, webinar, etc.

• Provide contact information and office hours for the faculty member.
Also include the preferred method of communication (email, text,
phone, etc.).
• Provide contact information for additional resources for student
support, such as technical support, tutoring, advising, etc.
• Set boundaries. It is important for online course instructors to set
boundaries for the hours that they are available and hours that they
are not available. Explain to your students that they can expect a
response from you during your available hours, and stick to it. Online
instructors need down time and their mental health needs to be
preserved; this can be accomplished through setting clear
Learner/ boundaries and sticking to them.

Faculty • To assist students with common problems in the distance learning
environment, instructors should provide within the course a
Support "Frequently Asked Questions" section that provides answers to these
questions. Instructors might also incorporate a forum area where
questions can be posed by students to questions not answered in the
"FAQs" section. This allows for other students and/or the instructor to
answer the questions and provide a resource for future students who
may experience the same problem.
• Both students and instructors need to schedule themselves
dedicated class time.