It’s back to school time, and along with the flurry of activity to buy backpacks and school supplies to fill them come frequent posts about how to be a good instructor. Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran, such pieces can provide helpful guidance and reminders for faculty. I used to post a list of what students want from faculty above my desk to help me stay cognizant of my students’ needs while I worked through each day.
The down side is that these lists can become a bit long and repetitious. Therefore, I’m going to narrow my list to the top four characteristics of effective online instructors, tempered by what I have heard from students about what they liked and disliked about the instruction of a course.
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