As we prepare a return to campus, it’s likely we’ll need to plan for more COVID-related twists and turns in our future. How do you make sure students can keep up to date with important class or assessment changes while taking this flexible approach?
Setting a clear communication strategy at the start of session can help maintain a sense of stability for your students if changes occur. This clarity helps your students – and your tutors – know where to turn to when they need information. And it helps you maintain expectations around your own availability.
Here are our three tips to help you think about how you will communicate important changes to your students this session.
1. Choose the right communication tool for your subject
Choose one online channel through which you will share any important information with your students. Try to pick a tool that makes sense for your subject, your workload, and your own communication preferences. Tools could include:
- Canvas Announcements or Inbox
- A specific Canvas Discussion board
- Microsoft Teams
- UTS Email
2. Let students know how you will be communicating with them
I can’t stress the importance of this point enough – you need to let students know how and where you will send them important updates, and how they can ask you questions about these updates. Use a welcome message or a page in your subject site’s Get Started module to answer the following questions:
- Where and how will you send updates to students? Make sure students know where to look for updates from you. Will you use announcements, email, Teams, or something else?
- How can students contact you with questions? Make it clear which channels you will respond to. Are you happy to be emailed, or would you prefer a message through Teams?
- When can students expect a response from you? If they email you, will you try to answer within a certain timeframe, or on certain days? If they post on a Discussion board, when will you be monitoring the Discussion board? How would you want to be contacted in an emergency?
- What expectations do you have around communication? Let students know what they can expect in your communications to them. Tell students what information or tone you expect them to use in their messages to you.
3. Share links to support
If you expect students to have their Canvas notifications or Teams notifications turned on, include instructions or links on how to do this. Similarly, if there are specific supports you may be asked about, such as applying for special consideration or counselling services, share these links at the start of session.
The LX.lab have created some Canvas page templates to help make your communication methods and expectations explicit to students:
To view and import the above to your Canvas site, search for ‘subject communication’ in Canvas Commons. For more guidance on this, see this page on viewing and importing Commons resources.
Get assistance
Need help with your communication strategy this session? Contact the LX.lab for a consultation with one of our Learning Design & Technology Specialists