Teaching & Learning

Facilitating communication between teachers and students

teacher presenting, student looking at content on laptop

Communication between teachers and students

The way you communicate with your students, and facilitate their communication with you is likely to be the largest factor in determining whether or not students are able to achieve the intended learning outcomes (ILOs) of your unit. Having a clear plan for communication between teachers and students in your unit, and sharing it with students at the start of semester, is likely to reduce administrative workloads during semester, and can lead to better learning outcomes for students.

Units whose high impact learning experiences occur on campus provide opportunities for communication with students during classes, however any essential information must also be provided for students in the unit's MyLO site. There are a number of University rules and policies which stipulate written communication of certain information to students in the first week of study in a unit, and this has traditionally been done through a unit outline document. Therefore, there are two tools which every unit at UTAS must use to communicate with their students: MyLO and the Unit Outline.


icon representing MyLO on a screen

MyLO

MyLO is the main communication tool for any unit. It is where:

  • students are introduced to the unit and to the teaching team
  • administrative and assessment communication is managed
  • consultation hours are shared (and/or conducted)
  • learning interactions can occur (regardless of the main mode of delivery), and may be assessed
  • links to related information, services and support are shared

Find out more about using MyLO for communication in your unit.

icon representing Unit Outline document

Unit Outline

The Unit Outline is a document which outlines for students what they will learn in a unit, and how the unit has been designed to support and measure their learning.

The unit outline should be provided for students online, in the appopriate place in MyLO.  It is not required that you give students printed copies.

Professional Learning provides a proforma which you can use to ensure that you have met all of the requirements for a UTAS Unit Outline.

Find out more about writing a Unit Outline for your unit.



Administrative communication

Using MyLO to manage core administrative communication provides clarity and equity for all students, regardless of their mode of study or ability to attend classes. General communication is best managed with asynchronous tools such as News, Discussions and Content in MyLO. Information about due dates, submission processes etc. should be provided through the full use of MyLO features, including Dropbox. Time sensitive communications, and information with a use-by date (i.e., only relevant for 1-3 weeks) are best managed through News. When there is a need for two-way communication, this is best managed through Discussions.

For more information and ideas about using MyLO and MyLO tools to manage communication in your unit, see the Staff Resources - MyLO page. If you would like an introduction to and overview of the features and functions of MyLO, you may wish to enrol in the Getting started in MyLO unit (UTAS staff can access this non-award unit by searching for "Getting started in MyLO" in their Discover Course Catalog).