Building Community

Weekly Brightspace announcements

A Monday “here’s what’s ahead this week” announcement takes under 10 minutes and creates predictability. In Brightspace, use the Announcements tool under the Communications menu, and check the Send Email Copy option to reach students outside the platform as well.

Resource link: Brightspace: How to use the Announcements tool

Video link: Brightspace Tutorial: Announcement Tool

Instructor immediacy & online presence

Research on instructor immediacy (the sense that a professor is accessible and engaged) shows it significantly predicts student motivation and learning. Practical strategies include timely responses, personal tone in announcements, and short video check-ins.

Resource link: The Impact for Affective Learning

Video link: Strategies for Enhancing Instructor Presence in an Online Classroom

Rename office hours to “Learner Hours”

Hogan & Sathy's Inclusive Teaching recommends calling these appointments "Learner Hours" rather than "office hours," as students often feel they are interrupting the professor's work. This simple rename has been shown to increase visits substantially.

Resource link: Inclusive Teaching — Hogan & Sathy

Set clear email response-time expectations

Stating a specific response window (e.g., "I respond to emails within 24 hours on weekdays") in the syllabus reduces student anxiety and prevents the perception that faculty are unavailable. Without an explicit policy, students default to expecting an immediate reply.

Resource link: CETLI: Communications & Email

Video link: Why Response Times Matter in Online Education

Syllabus quiz (low-stakes, auto-graded)

A brief Brightspace quiz in week one over key policies — late work, attendance, academic integrity — ensures students actually read the syllabus. Use the Quizzes tool under Assessments; auto-grading means no additional work for the instructor.

Resource link: Brightspace: Using the Quizzes tool

Video link: Brightspace Tutorials: Quizzes Tool for Instructors

Recurring housekeeping slide

The first slide of every class session contains 2-3 brief reminders: upcoming due dates, class norms, and the course calendar. Keeps expectations visible.

Resource link: Classroom Management Techniques and Tips

Growth mindset framing

Faculty who explicitly frame ability as something that develops with effort — rather than a fixed trait — see measurable gains in student performance and persistence, especially among first-generation students. A short syllabus statement or first-day talking point ("there's no such thing as a 'math person'; we're all here to improve") sets this tone early.

Video link:Teaching for an Academic Growth Mindset as Faculty

Resource link: MIT Teaching + Learning Lab: Growth Mindset

Flexible late-work / grace period policy

Building in an automatic grace period (e.g., 48–72 hours, no penalty, no explanation needed) reduces student stress and prevents minor setbacks from becoming crises, with especially strong benefits for first-generation students. Stating the policy clearly up front also reduces the number of individual extension-request emails faculty receive.

Resource link: UAF: Rethinking Deadlines to Support Student Success

Video link: Habitually Late Assignments

AI use syllabus statement

A clear, course-specific AI policy helps students understand what's permitted and why, rather than guessing or assuming AI use is treated the same as unauthorized help from another person. UCM provides editable templates spanning fully restricted to fully encouraged use.

Resource link: UCM's AI Statement Suggestions for Syllabi