PUB TYPE Guides Classroom- Teacher (052) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150)

Students come into online courses with different technological competencies, learning styles, communication skills, motivations, and attitudes. Four types of interactions can be identified in distance education--learner-content, learner-instructor, learner-learner, and learner-interface. There are ten techniques instructors can implement to help students taking an online course for the first time become successful online.learners. These techniques include: (1) identify students ' computer performance levels before enrollment, continue to upgrade the computer prerequisites, and enforce the prerequisite policy; (2) continue to assess students ' skills and attitudes; (3) vary instructional components; (4) provide technical support; (5) create a departmental gateway World Wide Web site to expand technical support provided to students; (6) hold first class meetings on campus to enable students to meet with instructors and other students at least one time in person; (7) recruit graduate assistants ' help; (8) offer course content in multiple formats; (9) rely on the flexibility of multiple communication avenues; and (10) make phone calls and mail preliminary handouts. (Contains 10 references.) (MES) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Allison Shelto