The first three items in Section B speak to the instructor's plan for initiating, encouraging, and maintaining communication the students.

B1: Pre-Course Contact
B2: Regular & Substantive Interaction
B3: Student-Initiated Contact
Resources

B1: Pre-Course Contact

ALIGNED: Instructor initiates contact prior to or at the beginning of the course.
EXEMPLARY: Instructor provides multiple resources to help students successfully start the course.

Pre-course contact may not be evident in a course that hasn't launched yet, but we'd like to make the case that it should be. Pre-course "welcome letters" are an ubiquitous element of online teaching. These letters (sent via college email or an announcement in a published course) are designed to introduce students to the course and smooth the path to getting started. They often contain important information about the instructor, the CMS, the course, and initial activities.

However it is sent to students, this communication should be archived in the course in an easy-to-locate spot. While the information will be redundant to most students, it may be critical to late adds and other students who did not receive the pre-course email. Instructors may choose to archive the welcome letter in their first announcement and/or in their orientation module.

Aligned courses include pre-course contact, while exemplary courses include essential resources within the contact that help students successfully start the course: start date, login info, Canvas support, textbook info/link, initial assignment preparation, etc.

🚀Need some inspiration? Check out sample welcome letters.

B2: Regular & Substantive Interaction (RSI)

ALIGNED: Course design includes regular instructor-initiated interaction with students using CMS communication tools and a clear explanation for students of when and how communication will happen.
EXEMPLARY: Course design includes ample opportunities for regular and substantive interaction using a wide variety of communication tools.

Aligned courses will demonstrate a clear plan for consistent instructor-initiated contact using CMS tools. Exemplary courses build on this by offering many opportunities for contact through a wide range of communication tools, such as announcements, discussions, online conferencing, and others.

The Why

B2 focuses on the instructor's plan for interacting with students within the course, which needs to be explicitly shared with students for alignment. While you know what you have in mind, students will not--and some may be bringing negative experiences with them. Explaining how and when students can expect to hear from you will help students acclimate, manage expectations, and reduce confusion.

The What

As an online instructor, your interaction with students needs to be frequent and consistent, and you need to be the one initiating those interactions. Canvas provides a variety of tools for communicating with your class as a whole, as well as with individual students privately. Announcements, Discussions, Canvas Studio, Inbox, Assignment feedback, and Quiz feedback are a few.

The How

After you have formulated your plan, you should explain what that plan is to your students so they will be prepared and know where to look for your communications to them. For example, you might outline your communication plan in the syllabus and provide more detailed information on a page in your Orientation module. Regardless of where it is located, your plan for instructor-initiated contact should explicitly state how you will be communicating with students, and with what tools. Here are some things to consider as you are formulating that plan:

How and how often will you use announcements?
Will you be sending any messages via the Canvas Inbox? Keep in mind that when you use handy Canvas features to message a student, such as "Message Students Who" from the gradebook, those are sent to a student's Inbox.
How will you be participating in the discussions? You might explain the role you will play and how often students can expect to see your posts.
How soon can students expect to see your comments on their graded work?

🚀Ready for a few examples? See CVC "communication plan" language, and also know that there is a customizable, B2-aligned "Instructor Communication" statement in the DE Syllabus Template:

I am looking forward to working closely with you this semester, and you can expect me to play an active role in our course. I will post announcements every week, join you in class discussions to help you understand course concepts, and provide detailed feedback on major assignments within one week of submission. I will also answer questions throughout the semester in the Q&A Discussion and in our weekly discussions, usually within 24 hours M-F. Please let me know when you need help—that’s why I’m here!

B3: Student-Initiated Contact

ALIGNED: Students are encouraged to initiate contact with the instructor through easily accessed contact information that includes expected response times.
EXEMPLARY: Students are provided with multiple means of contacting the instructor and are encouraged to do so throughout the course.

When students experience difficulty in the course, whether it be technical issues, learning issues, or simply a need for clarification, they need quick resolution for the problem or their learning may be affected. Section B3 provides guidelines to ensure that students can get help when they need it. Let's break B3 down into its key components:

"Students are encouraged to initiate contact with the instructor"
- Instructor contact information should be readily accessible to students in multiple locations. Contact information can be easily shared on the home page, in the syllabus, in the orientation module, and in announcements.
- Now, about that encouragement . . . we know that sometimes students (and humans in general) are reluctant to ask for help, even when they really need it. They may see their instructor's contact info but not feel comfortable using it. While it may feel redundant to you, regularly offering your support to students can demonstrate that you really do want to help, and that can make all the difference. Being approachable increases the chances that students will reach out when they need your help.
"contact information that includes expected response times"
- Another important aspect of alignment is response time. This lets students know when they can expect to hear back from you, and it reduces anxious follow-up emails every few hours. :) Here's how response time is provided in the DE Syllabus Template: "I will respond to your message or Q&A Discussion post within 24 hours, M-F. If you do not get a response after 24 hours, please resend."

Aiming for Exemplary? In exemplary courses, instructors consistently encourage students to contact them, not just in Week 1. Invitations to reach out may be included in announcements, assignment instructions, and in feedback. The "multiple means of contacting the instructor" may include the Canvas Inbox, email, chat, videoconferencing, office hours, phone, text messaging, Q&A discussions, etc.

Resources

CVC's Course Design Resources for B1-B3:

Related Resources:

Canvas Essentials: Send Emails to Students Before the Start of the Term
Byte-Sized Canvas: The Power of Announcements
Byte-Sized Canvas: No Boring Announcements!

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