“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”
--Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Communication and Student Equity
In online learning contexts, communication with our students (and amongst students) may take a number of forms. For example, email is often a main point of contact between students and instructors, but students are more likely to communicate with peers via texting or social media. No matter what the method, it is imperative that communication be clear, regular, and effective. This goes beyond our classrooms, as the National Institute of Professional Practice identifies "Effective Communication" as an essential skill students need in the 21st century job market. Read a summary of this here: Skills Students Need for the 21st Century Job Market
According to the OEI Course Design Rubric, Links to an external site.instructor interaction with students and between students is a fortified best practice in online teaching. We argue that in addition to being sound online pedagogy, effective communication must also be an equity-minded practice.
For instance, the Peralta Community College District has developed an Online Equity RubricLinks to an external site., which can be used in conjunction with the OEI Rubric above. This equity scale claims that the following communication practices are aligned and exemplary:
Aligned: Course communications and activities foster personal connections among students, and demonstrate the instructor cares about each unique student’s participation and success in the class.
Exemplary: Course communications and activities deepen connections among class participants, and encourage students to connect to your institution and the discipline more broadly.
Both of these criteria will echo in our discussion of this content.
Techniques and Technology
It seems now that our understanding of effective online communication through equity-mindedness requires attention to two main questions:
What are the techniques and practices of equity-minded contact with and between students online?
How can technology (Canvas or other) be most effectively used to to communicate online?
To the first question above, we will explore the potential of a practice referred to as Intrusiveness. While this can have a negative connotation in some contexts, evidence shows that being intrusive with our online students may lead to better outcomes. For a helpful synopsis of online intrusiveness, let us refer to a clip from a CORA webinar featuring Dr. Luke Wood and Dr. Frank HarrisLinks to an external site. titled Employing Equity-Minded & Culturally-Affirming Teaching and Learning Practices in Virtual Learning Communities (this video is cued to begin at a particular section (29:19-42:52), but the entire recording is certainly worth your time).
As for the second question, we will explore different technological capabilities to practice intrusive communication on the next tab.
PARTNER | VALIDATE | EMPOWER
It takes a village to help our students succeed and transfer.
These Canvas tools are effective, but they are not stand-alone practices. Within these tools we must infuse student equity in any way we can. For example, recall back to the Eight Equity Precepts. Consider how we can apply the principles of several of these precepts into our intrusive online communication. The sub-sections below explore this further, and one of the assignments this week asks you to practice by responding to student messages: Assignment: Responding to Student Messages
Maximizing the Use of Student Hours:
Whether on-campus or virtual, re-brand your office hours as “student hours.” Make sure that students know that this is “their time” and that you are available to help them achieve their goals. Clarify this "student hours" are not mandatory class meeting times, but rather an open invitation to communicate with you.
Try requiring all students to attend student hours at least once throughout the semester, individually or in small groups. Provide a sign-up sheet or keep track in the Canvas Grade Book.
Create a short video inviting students to your virtual student hour, while providing times and Zoom links as needed.
Always use student hours as an extra opportunity to find out more about the student’s educational and personal goals.
Stay in Contact:
Sometimes the difference between a student dropping out, or working through their difficulties, can be a single contact from the instructor. A simple email/Canvas message can make a huge impact on a struggling student:
“I’ve noticed that you’ve missed a couple of assignments lately and have not logged into class in a while. Please let me know what I can do to help. I’ve checked your scores and I think we can work together to ensure that you pass this course,”
Sometimes, simply knowing that there is care and support can make all the difference in the world.
In addition to such intrusive communication during the semester, let us consider our contact before and after a term. For instance, research by the LBCC Office of Institutional Effectiveness (2020) found that when a student fails a class in their first semester the likelihood that they will persist to the next term drops by 34%.
We assert that an instructor's willingness to intrusively reach out to these students, who have either withdrawn or received a D or F grade in a class, can improve student resilience to retake a course. Canvas "New Analytics" makes this task very simple, and you can see a brief tutorial on the process here How do I send a message to all students based on specific course criteria in New Analytics?Links to an external site. Here is an example of what such message may look like; note the presence of some Equity Precepts in this short message:
"Dear student,
It seems that this semester you did not pass my class. I would like to invite you back next semester to re-take it with me. We can work together to create a plan that will guide you to success, and I will support you every step of the way. You have what it takes to pass this class and learn my challenging subject. Please let me know and I sincerely hope to see you next semester."
Use Canvas Communication Tools Wisely:
To send updates and messages to the whole class, or use it to contact individual students who are in danger of dropping out or failing. For an extended tutorial on equitable effective contact, please see the workshop below.
For convenience, here are some times to fast-forward to specific sections:
Clarify the importance of a two-way communication plan in online courses. (Starts at 5:31)
Discuss what the content of messages should be. (Starts at 10:22)
Identify various communication tools through Canvas (Announcements, Gradebook, Chat). (Starts at 15:57)
Enable the “New Analytics” function for targeted contact. (Starts at 24:28)
Create opportunities for students to initiate communication with peers. (Starts at 33:10)
Design discussion forums that build community within the course. (Starts at 40:42)
Use Starfish:
Starfish is an online platform that allows faculty to provide students’ direct feedback about their course performance in the form of kudos, flags, and messages. Celebrate the success of your students and connect them to academic resources or support as needed. Watch the video below for a brief tutorial, and visit LBCC Starfish VideosLinks to an external site. for even more help.
Let's Get to Work!
We have two activities that will inform our practice of invasive and equity-minded communication.
Online Communication Planning Sheet
Getting to Know Your Students (sample activity).
Here we will introduce each application before discussing them as a group.
Secondly, we invite you all to think about ways to better inform this intrusive communication. For example, consider finding a creative way to get to know your students. That way, when you contact them, the figurative ice has already been broken.
Please check out and try one example that can be easily used in any online class perhaps during the first week as a low-stakes attendance assignment: Getting to Know Your Students.
For additional ideas to get to know our students see the links below:
This section has striven to introduce equity-minded online communication, in terms of techniques and tools. While there is no shortage of technology to communicate effectively with our students, we must individually consider what makes the most sense for our online classes.
In addition to some additional readings that pertain to this topic, we have also compiled a list that contains some of these communication tools for your consideration:
Remind.comLinks to an external site. is a free communication tool that allows instructors to text message all of their students without exchanging personal contact information.
Lastly, we are featuring three videos below from the Online Network of Educators that directly pertain to communication, connection, and student support.
Part 1: Active Online Learning Part 3: Culturally Relevant Curriculum