Creating a Supportive and Interactive Environment

When you set a tone that gives students permission to approach you and other students in the course, students are more likely to seek the support they need to overcome the hurdles they may face along the way. The ssection provides suggestions for implementing this ideal.

• Encourage student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction through discussion, questions, group work, field trips, and course list serves. Students learn in a variety of ways. Some students learn better when they have the opportunity to interact with others. Incorporating these teaching strategies will help these learners get more out of the class. If you are teaching online, your first inclination might be to assume that this section is directed only to those teaching in a traditional in-class format. But online courses can be highly interactive. For resources on interactivity in online courses:
  
  
  • NETnet - The Northeast Texas Consortium, Interaction Strategies and Tips for Internet and ITV Courses
  
  
• Learn students' names if feasible and use their names when you call upon them in class. If you learn students' names and repeat them in class, students will be more likely to learn their classmates' names and may feel more comfortable approaching them. When you model interaction, students follow suit. This provides students with a safer environment for developing natural supports — requesting notes from another student or forming study groups.
  
  
• Seek student input on components of the course that you are still developing or would like to improve. Students are often the best source of feedback on course content and instructional methods. If you create an environment of mutual respect and show that you value student input, you may find that you get creative and helpful ideas for making the course more user friendly.
  
  
• Implement "First Day Strategies" to start the class off with the kind of environment you want to create. This site offers a variety of ideas for getting started:
  
  
  • Honolulu Community College - Faculty Development - Teaching Tips Index
  
  
• Announce in class that you are available to discuss modifications with any student who needs accommodations for a disability. Avoid singling out students in class. Making yourself available to all students is an invitation for the student to approach you.


• Utilize available technology to encourage interaction outside of the classroom. Even if you are not teaching an online course, you may want to utilize the technology available to enhance opportunities for interaction, instead of having students only email you directly with questions, ask them to consider posting their questions on a course bulletin board or list serve so all students can learn from the answers you provide.