D1. Offer multiple clear and easy opportunities for students to communicate with the instructor.

I.e. individual/small group meetings, flexible Zoom and in-person office hours, out-of-classroom interactions. Normalize meeting with the instructor for reasons other than “asking for help”.

As an instructor, being available demonstrates your commitment to helping students achieve the learning outcomes of the course and lets them know that you value their questions and concerns.

 

Examples & Strategies

Encourage students to attend in person or virtual office hours by providing extra bonus points or incentives. Begin the semester with a required one-on-one visit with each student or a small group of students.


Some students may be uncertain about what office hours mean or how they should prepare—try providing a theme or topic for office hours (“come talk about last week’s problem set”, “what are your plans for summer internship” or a recent current related to the course content).

Outside of class activities are also great places to meet students. Some faculty let students know when they plan to eat or grab a coffee in the Blue Wall, dining commons or cafes.
Some faculty rename office hours to  “chat times” or “drop in’s” and invite students for virtual or in person visits "get to know you" sessions.

 

Considerations

Many students are unfamiliar with what office hours might be or perhaps uncomfortable with reaching out to their instructors. As you set up office hours, small group meetings or Zoom drop in times let students know what your expectations are for these meetings and encourage them to come.

 

Resources

Smith, M., Chen, Y., Berndston, R., Burson, K. M., & Griffine, W. (2017) “Office hours are kind of weird”: Reclaiming a resource to foster student-faculty interaction. Insight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 12, pp. 14 – 29.  Permalink.