WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

Pamela A. Gibson and Pamela Trump Dunning
Research has found that clear standards for instructor response time and
availability have a positive effect on student learning and satisfaction (Hannon
et al., 2002). Both the syllabi and Bb sites alert students to how and when
to contact the professor and the expected response time (24–48 hours). It
is suggested that faculty include an “Instructor Contact” button in Bb that
provides, as a minimum, office hours, e-mail address, and a contact number to
begin the process of connection building with the students. Unlike interacting
with students in campus desk chairs, instructors in the virtual world must
consider international time zones, country-specific holidays, and, in some cases,
natural and human-made disasters that affect instruction. For instance, the
authors have had to contend with students in the military, stationed in other
parts of the world, where traditional office hours cannot apply. This expanded
consideration of time is most evident in the needed articulation of due dates and
deadlines to include time zones. The time zone of the Bb server might not be the
same as that of the instructor’s locale, and programming the opening and closing
of coursework must be planned accordingly.
Brooks & Jeong (2006) found that in a graduate-level online environment,
“pre-structured discussion threads can increase the frequency of argumentchallenge
exchanges needed to initiate critical discourse” (p. 371). Throughout
the course, required weekly discussion topics are used to initiate this type of
student-student discussion and to maintain student-instructor interaction.
These can be discussion questions, case studies, or other individual or group
projects centered on the weekly assignments. The syllabus template informs
students that regular interaction is a required part of the course, since this is not
a correspondence course where a student may work at his or her own pace.
Clear standards are provided for the submission of discussion board postings.
These can include how many postings are required, the quality expected, and
specific examples of exemplary participation (see Appendix C for an example).
This information reflects the heightened degree of detail possible, and requested
by students, when completing assignments online.
Having clear navigational instructions has been found to be a critical factor
in online usability (Shiratuddin et al., 2003). To ensure students are able to
navigate the Bb course, a “Start Here” button is required. At this location is
information pertinent to the setup of the course; it contains links for students
to navigate through the various areas. Required content areas include a separate
“Syllabus” button and an “External Links” button that contains links to at least
three useful websites for students; these sites are identified as either background
information, additional personal enrichment, or required for an assignment.
Websites that are linked to other academic support centers include the University
Library Services, Writing Center, and the MPA Advising site.
Course technology should enhance the learning experience, not be the end
product, and it should be easily accessible (Beldarrain, 2006; Kirkwood, 1998).
216 Journal of Public Affairs Education