Organize it.
Students thrive on clear organization in both course materials and in-the-moment assignments. An organized course supports a confident student.
Be clear with organization
Organization is the integral step of course design that gives students confidence. An organized Learning Management System gives students a predictable location to find and submit assignments and homework. An organized slide deck helps students in synchronous-online classrooms understand their expectations as learners.
Be simple when possible
Online organization does not need fancy bells and whistles, but it does need to be organized and predictable. Each week, my students have a link, with the date, week, and topic that links them to the class slide deck.
Be clear with student expectations
In early 2020, I created a database of tips for educators based on organization of slides in order to get more student voice in synchronous-online classrooms.
Make templates that make sense to students
The best way to get more participation in your online class is to create templates that invite students to participate. I created a bank of templates that are mostly empty, but purposeful in the empty space, as a way to invite students to share their thinking individually, in groups, and as a whole class.
Be clear with assignments & changes
I update my syllabus regularly and color coding changes in red. I also grey out completed classes so that students can quickly locate their next class and corresponding assignments.