Example of good practice in introducing a unit online

Orient students, build rapport and make them feel supported

Ben Richardson

Ben Richardson - School of Psychology

My approach to introducing a unit

I have found that a unit overview or a video welcome message can be a good way to orient students to a unit and build rapport. In my unit, HPS307 Personality, I find these to be a minor but useful part of my overall approach where I aim to present unit content as clearly as possible. My view is that clarity is extremely important, for a number of reasons. Most obviously, ideally students will be spending time working out how to do a task well rather than wondering what the required task actually involves. In addition, there are probably some indirect ways in which good organisation and communication can facilitate better outcomes.

Student perceptions are important

Students are often not in a position to judge the relevance (and even accuracy) of the content and skills we teach them. However, they are able to rate our process; that is, how clearly things were explained, how effectively they were supported, etc. Given this, I would argue that these perceptions are the main determinant of student evaluations - and furthermore, that students may use this as a proxy for our competence and the relevance of a unit's content.

While good SETUs may (or may not) be an important outcome, I find in my unit that having satisfied students allows me to set more challenging learning objectives without experiencing resentment and resistance. For example, the feedback I receive from students suggests that the end of trimester long-answer exam question is difficult. However, rarely do I have complaints about this and, when I do, I can direct students back to the clear rationale given for the use of the question as part of the assessment as well as the clear expectations that underlie my evaluations of their responses.

Some advice!

Rather than to use the specific technique of a unit overview or video welcome, my main recommendation would be to reflect critically on the nature of the communication and organisation of a unit. Certainly there are many ways to get things running smoothly and in a way that minimises student anxiety and maximises engagement. Nonetheless, if you think that these specific ideas may be useful in your unit, the links below may be of interest.

Transcript (38 KB)