B3 - Student-Initiated Contact

Making sure your contact information is easy to find and in multiple locations means students will be able to contact you when necessary. This is especially vital in a fully online course where students may experience technical glitches or have questions when you're not there to help. 

Another important consideration is to be sure and include your expected response time. It can be as simple and straightforward as: I respond to email within 24 hours, Monday through Saturday. I reserve the right to wait until Monday to reply to messages sent on Sunday. ;-) 

Places you might put your contact info:

• Home Page
• Syllabus
• Communication Plan
• Orientation/Getting Started module

There are many reasons why some students may feel reluctant to get in touch with "the teacher" (shy personality, cultural norms, bad previous experiences). Simply adding a welcoming statement like "I look forward to hearing from you" along with your contact info can do much to ameliorate their hesitation.

Where to Look

This should be found in the expected places. If you can't find it easily, it means students won't be able to either.

What to Look For

This should include contact information that includes the instructor's name and email, at a minimum, and the anticipated response time. Even if the Canvas Inbox is indicated to be the preferred method of contact, an email should be provided in case there is ever an issue with Canvas. Other contact methods (e.g., phone, text, Twitter) may be given as well.