Source of the activity:
Thompson Rivers University Open Learning Course (OTL 201: https://elearning.trubox.ca/topic/instructor-strategies/)

Brief description of the activity:
Logistical information about course activities is critical in online learning because even a small error can cause long delays. When faculty are not physically present to answer questions, it is very important to anticipate and include details such as how to submit assignments, how to contact other course participants or how learners will be assessed.

How this activity will fit with my teaching practice:
While I attempt to be as clear as possible with students, inevitably I miss something when scheduling or writing up assignments. This seems to be common among faculty: we try to make everything perfect and miss small things. I can see that the effect of lack of clarity in terms of the logistics of assignment submission, due dates, etc. is exacerbated in the online teaching environment. Ensuring clarity in deliverables including timing, submission, and requirements will make it easier for students to focus on doing the work instead of working about the details.

Helpful resources or links:
None.

Specific ‘next steps’ for how I intend to use this activity:
I plan to start to build a list of FAQs for every online course that I teach and update it as students ask questions that I believe other students will also have. I already have a question for my existing course!