Communication and Participation Guidelines

Communication in this course is completely online.  Learning online has lots of plusses.  You can work from any computer and from just about anywhere.  Students taking our online nutrition courses have posted to their class discussions from all over the U.S. and the world.

This course is asynchronous.  This means that you can work at a time of day that is most convenient for you.  If you are a night owl, come and join the course at 1 or 2 a.m.  If you are up with the sun, grab a cup of coffee and go to class in your bathrobe. 

But naturally online learning has its challenges.  It can feel isolating at times.  To help you feel that you are not alone, I have provided opportunities for you to interact with the other participants through the online course Discussions feature.

And then there’s the challenge of the technology.  Whether you are low-tech or high-tech, it takes a little effort to learn the way the course communication system works. But don't be afraid to click on all the buttons inside UMassOnline — you can't break anything.

Expectations for Your Communication and Participation

I expect that you will check your Mail (BlackBoard internal email) every day to read any messages that have been sent to you by the course instructor.  You should also check the course Discussions every day, or every other day at a minimum, to read and reply to postings by your fellow participants.

Participation in the course Discussions will count for 30% of your grade.  The timeliness and quality of your contribution to the course discussions is important and will affect your grade.

What You Can Expect From Your Instructor

We will be having one or two discussions each week.  As you can see from the grading rubric, the quality of your contributions to the Discussions is important. I find that you can learn a lot from one another if everyone contributes using Interactive Thinking.  The quantity of your posting is not as important as the quality.  Keep your writing brief and to the point.

I will be moderating and guiding your online discussions daily using focusing questions when appropriate, but not necessarily participating in the discussions.  Although it can be difficult at times for the instructor to hold back and not contribute “my two cents,” this is what I am going to do.

Rather than relying on me, feel free to take on the role of the instructor, asking and answering questions as you see fit. 

But, please understand that you are not on your own.  I will be reading your work and letting you know your grades in each discussion using the course’s My Grades system.  I will also summarize and tie up any loose ends in the discussion threads on a weekly basis or as appropriate. 

To Communicate With Your Instructor

Most of the communication in this course will take place in the Discussions. However, if you have issues of a personal nature one easy way to contact your instructors is to send email messages from the Mail area of course web page. You can also use the Chat option if your instructor is online.

If you have a pressing question, call. The phone certainly is an acceptable means of communication between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, or on the weekends in an emergency.