They ll assume that online learning is a bad form of education or that they just don t have the skills or personal style to handle it. Begin personal interaction with online students immediately. Get them talking with the rest of the class. Build preparatory assignments that give students experience with the course site and the technical skills they will need. Provide on-going praise, encouragement, and other incentives for them to keep working.
Online learners require more interaction with an instructor.
This principle might be a surprise, but it s true. These students ask most of the questions and give the instructor feedback while the others learn more quietly. Because online students can t pass this role to others, be prepared to answer plenty of email. To keep your burden as instructor reasonable, pre-empt questions by answering them in support materials before they need to be asked. Encourage interaction between students so that they can get help from classmates in addition to the instructor.