Below is an introductory email that I send to my who are taking an online course with me.  This email has been a collaboration among colleagues in instructional design and technology, namely Lee Allen, Trey Martindale and Clif Mims.  This email is, of course, customized for each specific course.  But it does contain some specific elements.

1. The URL to the web site is included along with the day and time that the course will be accessible.
2. Expectations for email and Internet access are made explicit.
3. Methods of communication (i.e., university email only) is made explicit along with how to forward university email to personal external email accounts.
4. Expectations for professionalism and academic communications is also explained.  This includes what should be included in the subject line of an email.
5. How to get started with the URL.
6. How to seek help from software, others, and me.

Welcome.

I am very glad you are in our class. I hope you find this class to be both a beneficial and enjoyable experience. I love teaching, and I believe that you’ll find that I am a student-centered teacher. Because this is an online course, I try to be very organized and provide with the best resources, descriptions and additional help I can in order for you to be success and frustrated as little as possible.  Our course official kicks off on January 15, 2009.  I have just about everything uploaded into the site.  You can begin access the course materials on January 15, 2008, at 12:01 am.

Below is a list of reminders and notices to help you get started and be successful:

1. Our course will be housed inside eCourseware at http://elearn.memphis.edu .  You will need to login with your userid and password.  On front page of eCourseware <http://elearn.memphis.edu> you will find a getting started checklist.  Please go through this list thoroughly. 

2. This is a completely online course.  As such, you will need CONTINUED and RELIABLE access to the Internet throughout our course.  You can use your own computer, a friend’s computer, one at work, one a public library or one on the UofM campus.  You MUST be able to access our course Web site daily. You will also need to be persistent and diligent in checking emails, discussion postings and our course site.

3. I will be using your UofM email address only.  You can forward your UofM email address to another account (e.g., Comcast, Bellsouth, Google, Yahoo, etc.) if you like. To do this, go to http://iam.memphis.edu and login. Click on Modify Email Preferences, then click on Set Email Delivery Destination. Enter your preferred email address in the box and click Submit. If you need further assistance with this task, you should contact the UM ITD Help Desk by calling (901) 678-8888 or by visiting Information Technology's Support Resources and Help Desk  Keep in mind, that I likely sent the message to your UM email account.

4. Please note that I typically receive over 60 emails per day. To help me manage my email and, thereby, more effectively assist you, please always include the following in your email messages: Make sure that you include your name, the course call number, and the class section in all messages.  Be sure to give an appropriate Subject heading, too.  See the examples in the signature and subject lines of this message.

5. Please keep all written communication (email, discussion boards, projects etc.) professional.  The correct use of capitalization, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. is always expected in this course.  Abbreviated Internet jargon/computer shorthand/text messaging shorthand is not acceptable in professional settings and will not be acceptable in this course. The term "Internet" and “Web” or “World Wide Web” are proper nouns and should always be capitalized. Please be aware of this in your assignments, emails, on the discussion boards, etc. Teach this to your students, too.

6. Remember to consult a software program’s Help menu anytime you need assistance. Every software program has its own Help menu with useful information and tutorials.

7.  To get started in our course, log into the eCourseware Web site and read the greeting.  Follow the “Course Files” link to review the course materials.  Be sure to purchase the textbook and note the assigned readings and dates on the course calendar.  Two projects are due by Friday, January 18, 2008 by 11:55 pm.

8. When seeking help please follow these guidelines in order to get your needs met as quickly as possible:

First, you can post a question inside our "I have a question..." area.  A classmate may very easily know the answer to this and respond more quickly than I can.

Second, when you email me, you should expect an answer within 24 to 48 hours, excluding weekends. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, then inquire again. It could have slipped through. Most responses will be sent to the class as a whole to answer other students' questions as well. Private concerns, including grades, will, of course, be handled discretely.  Please be sure to follow the guidelines about email subject lines and professionalism listed above.

Again, I welcome you to our course and hope you find this experience rewarding and meaningful.  I look forward to receiving your “Getting Acquainted” project and reading more about in.

Blessings,

Dr. Grant

IDT 7061

Section: 413

--

Michael M. Grant, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Instructional Design & Technology

The University of Memphis

Image courtesy of Tutorial9 by Elio Rivero