General strategies for Email, Text messages, and Instant messages

Set ground rules for communicating with students electronically. For example:

1. List your preferred method of communication (email, Blackboard/ Moodle site, text messages, social media, etc.)
2. Give examples of appropriate messages and questions they may send to you electronically and not the day before a test or assignment due date
3. Remind students how often you will be responding to messages and that electronic messages are public documents
4. Provide an acceptable format for the electronic messages. For example: stating the subject line in the Email as “name of course: type of question”.
5. Explain that students must also remember to include their full name and contact number in the message, because you do not necessarily know who “swimgirl90” is.

Source: Tools for Teaching, Davis, BG, 2009