Thread by @monicarysavy

💡Idea: Use these 4 W's in your online course immediately to dramatically reduce repeated help desk questions, improve participation, and encourage course completion. (a thread) 1/

First, all of this needs to go on a page titled "START HERE". Capitals are important. Don't capitalize any other page titles. Why? Because it's attention-getting & students' eyes will be continually drawn to that 1 thing that's not like the others. Add your 4 W's here. 2/

Note: Also important, make sure to use headers to distinguish each of your 4 W's. Otherwise, the text all runs together & when read quickly, some of this core content WILL be missed. Use the header style, please, it helps screen readers for accessibility! 3/

W1: Welcome | Welcome students to your class & tell them that you're glad they are there. Use positive conversational language & share (at least) 1 key change they'll experience by successfully completing your course. (Also known as "the transformation"). 3/

Bonus points if you do this in a (captioned) video, but a friendly photo of you works too. Tip: Ask a friend to take your photo and to make you laugh & take the photo mid-laugh. Most people look friendly laughing 😀. 4/

W2: Where | Briefly explain what content is where, starting with the course calendar, links to live sessions, etc. BRIEF and to the point is KEY here. Link directly to content & spaces that you mention. Don't use links that say "click here". Describe the destination clearly. 5/

W3: Who | Tell students where to go to contact you (or your team) to get help. Tell them how often to expect their messages to be read (e.g. M-F, 8 AM-5 PM ET, etc...) & the approximate response time to expect. Don't over-promise here & strive to exceed what you state. 6/

W4: Why | Close out this important START HERE page with a few comments about why you believe this class will be impactful for your students and how you are committed to their success throughout the course (and beyond, if you have structure(s) in place for post-course support). 7/

Finally, repeatedly, in all communications you send & have with your students, remind your students to frequently visit the START HERE page (link) to find all the "very important information they need to be successful in your course!". /end