Build - Tools for Interaction

Canvas and other tools available at Highline provide a range of options for communication in your courses. As you match your goals for interaction to tools, consider how the tools will be used. 

Formal vs. informal communications

Online classes (and the online portion of hybrid and face-to-face classes) lack many of the contextual cues we receive when interacting in a physical classroom. The same challenges apply to communication tools. Formal communication structures include things like providing feedback on an exam, delivering an announcement, and explaining an assignment to the entire class. Informal communication includes the unplanned, spontaneous interactions such as students chatting with each other before and after (okay, and during) class, a question from a student asking the whole class for clarification, or a brief check-in with a specific student or advisee. Think of informal communication as the equivalent of a hallway chat.

In designing a course, we need to consider both:

  • How do we replicate some of the formal communication that is part of the class, and
  • How do we create an environment that facilitates the informal communications of a class.

Synchronous vs. asynchronous interaction

Synchronous communication refers to interaction that occurs in real-time, like a phone call, or a web conference or chat. Asynchronous communication occurs when the participants don’t meet at the same time. For instance, email, or a threaded discussion conversation, can occur with the participants responding at different times of day or night, over several days or even weeks.

Asynchronous communication is particularly important for the flexible schedules students expect from hybrid and online classes. That’s not to say synchronous communication can’t occur in those settings, but required scheduled sessions would be inappropriate. Alternatives can include scheduling multiple repeated sessions, or only requiring attendance at one of a set of several sessions.

Teacher-student and student-student communications

Teacher-to-student communication can be both formal and informal, and is often the focus of class design conversations. This includes feedback on assignments, announcing class activities, checking in with students who are struggling, answering questions from students and more. Student-to-student interaction can often add a lot of value to classes. In face-to-face classes, students can form study groups, check in with each other, and find community through the casual, informal interactions in the classroom. They may also need to interact to complete group projects for the class.

Considering both teacher-student and student-to-student interaction in designing your classes can support a more effective learning experience for your students, regardless of whether it’s online, hybrid, or face-to-face.

Choosing tools

Canvas and other tools available at Highline provide a range of options for communication in your courses. These tools include:

More information about these tools is available in the rest of the course modules. 

There are also tools available on the Internet for use in teaching and learning. It’s important that any tools applied to the classroom be easily accessible to students. Tools should be relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and available for mobile phones (iOS and Android). Tools should also meet accessible technology standards for access by people with disabilities. See the college's Accessible Technology web site for details.