While online students never meet with their instructors face to face, there are still ways for faculty to assist students with their learning while building rapport with their students. A common misconception of online education is the faculty members are not available for questions or concerns and are absent from the classroom. As such, it is best to let your students know the best way to contact you. Providing prompt responses to questions allows students to find clarity on the assignments, which may lead to students earning better grades on the assignments. In addition to providing prompt responses, it is important that the responses are warm and friendly. Students will be more apt to ask more questions if they don't feel like they are being a burden to the faculty member. If you find that there are common questions in a certain course, it is a good idea to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for students. I usually post this in the QFI forum and under the Instructors Policies and Documents folder. It ensures that students receive prompt responses to common questions, and eliminates faculty members from responding to the same questions repeatedly.

Faculty Spotlight:

Michelle Worley graduated with an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts from Mount San Antonio College. Upon completion, she transferred to California State University, Fullerton where she received her Bachelor's in Psychology. Michelle continued her graduate studies at California State University, Fullerton where she received my Master's in Experimental Psychology with an emphasis in Lifespan Development.