The Informational Elements of your course serve to introduce the students to you, the course and the University. It may be help to think of these components as laying the groundwork for student success. Unlike being a student in a traditional classroom, students in online settings may not know what to do or how to do. Think of these components as bringing the students to a state of readiness to engage meaningfully with you, each other and the online components of your course.
It is important to welcome students to your course site just as you would welcome them into your classroom. Blackboard has a number of tools that can support welcoming your students.
Most likely, your students will need your guidance in understanding how your course site will work. How will they find things? How do they get help when they need it?
It is essential to consider your students’ perspective when designing your course site. This includes helping students understand the course learning objectives and how they can be successful in the course.
In some ways, students will experience the online components of your course as individuals. Unlike in the face-to-face classroom, students interact with the asynchronous components of the course alone. Building connections to and among the students will be an essential par of helping the students succeed.
It is possible that your course website will be a major touch point for your students. They will visit your course site regularly. Providing links to student support services will help them access these services more easily, improving their chances of being successful.
Learn at a Distance 