Many students who sign up for online courses are, understandably, technically savvy: numbers and keystrokes are child's play to them. But for many of these students, communication skills-- so dependent upon good writing in online courses-- terrify them.

As an online teacher myself, I've seen my students often struggle with this problem. In online courses, your only way to relate ideas and information is through writing, so lack of writing skills is a serious problem. One professor has found a way to help.

And Grohens has found a way to encourage students to write -- and write well -- by using a wiki (rhymes with 'tricky'). A Hawaiian word for "quick,"wiki is defined as a Web site that permits visitors to edit the pages and that encourages collaborative writing and editing.

"The wiki enables me to give them lots of assignments and for them to write frequently, making it kind of a regular habit," Grohens said. "The students feel like, 'Oh, I can get started with something small and it's not too painful, and I can come back to it later.' "

Grohens believes that the quality of students' writing improves as a result of using the wiki because drafting and revision is so easy, and because they know that someone besides the instructors -- their classmates -- will be reading and critiquing nearly every assignment.

I myself created a document to help my students which you can find here, though I really like Grohens' blend of language and technology. As an online student or professor, what methods are you using to promote communication?

(Photo Source: Homework Help)