• Check in with your instructor regularly.
    Don't be afraid that you will bother your instructor with too much mail. Increased communication will save both you and your instructor time in the long run. But be specific in your emails.  Include your full name and what course and section you are enrolled in.  Share your experience of the course including your confusions and what you like.

  • Don't be offended if your instructor points you to other resources.
    Your instructor will often refer you to other resources that should answer your question instead of rewriting an answer that appears elsewhere. This is to help you become aware of resources in your course site and help you learn to find information.

  • Use email as your first mode of communication.
    This is an online class, and one of the goals is to make the course available at any time of day from a variety of places. You and your instructor will not usually be online at the same time. That makes email an ideal way to interact. But be patient, you will not typically receive an immediate response.  Always allow 24-48 hours depending on when you send your email.

  • But don't be afraid to try other forms of contact.
    Other forms of communication other than email may be more appropriate. Sometimes nothing can replace the immediacy of phone or face-to-face contact. Other times, you'll want to interact with both your instructor and other students via the discussion board. You may also need to use the Chatroom in this course. A variety of contact information for your instructor is available in the syllabus, including their office location and hours.

  • Check your email regularly
    Sometimes your instructor will send time-sensitive material via email. If you only check your email once a week, you may not get the message until it is too late. Even if you do nothing else for your online course on a particular day, you should check your email DAILY. Consider adding the Outlook application on your phone to receive notifications!

  • Use specific subject lines for your messages.
    Your instructor will make decisions about which email messages to read first. Use specific subject lines to help them when sorting. If you need an immediate answer, put the word "urgent" in your email title. If you have a question, start the subject with "Question about..." Refer to specific assignments when needed. Include your Last Name and First Initial in the subject line of all e-mails. If you use Instant Messages, be sure to add your name.

  • Be specific in the content of your messages.
    To help your instructor respond to you, be specific about who you are and what you need. In every message, identify your full name, the course and section you are in, the assignment, reading, or unit you are working on, and the specific information you need help with. This will help your instructor answer your question quickly and completely without having to respond with additional questions.

  • Your instructor will usually respond within 24-48 hours, sometimes earlier.
    He or she needs time to process the email and think about your question or research answers before writing back. If you don't receive a response within that time frame, send your message again. Accidents can happen, and your instructor may have lost your original message or not realized that a response was requested. This is not personal, but a mistake anyone can make when he or she deals with hundreds of messages a day. Be persistent, and your question will be answered! If you must have an earlier response, add the word "urgent" in your subject line or try a phone call.

  • Learn how to communicate effectively online.
    More hints about this topic are available in this "How this Course Works" guide in the folders about enhancing communication and participating in discussion forums.