This post was written by Ross Bresler, Professor, Liberal Arts. He is the course co-author and faculty for the online course, “LAHS-233 Themes and Variations in Western Art.”

I have taught “Themes and Variations in Western Art” successfully to on-campus students for two semesters and here are my proven tips for success:

  1. Make contact with students early and often. Students often have trouble organizing their time when taking an online course. It is easy to lose students who miss a few early assignments.
  2. Become human. Even if your class is fully online and not blended, do what you can to make yourself a real person and not a machine to your students. This can take the form of video chat, recorded video messages, photos, or setting out time for coffee with local students.
  3. Communicate to the individual and the group. Develop a weekly rhythm of individual comments sent to each student, as well as a weekly message to the group laying out the progress of the course such as where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. This establishes both a series of individual relationships and a sense of community.

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