Elements of an orientation
Description
Time at the start of an activity or course that you can devote to orientating learners to the online space will not only help prevent frustrations later on, but will also lay the foundation for the social ties and trust that will build community.
Simply allowing learners to access the online space to log in and look around, without any initial course material to engage with, can be beneficial for language learners. They can familiarize themselves to the vocabulary of the navigation, the course goals, and assessment criteria. They can also use the time to establish digital literacy habits for that particular space – for example, checking in with the course announcements feed and the discussion forum used for introductions.
This resource is a description of features to consider when planning an orientation period. It includes information about why an orientation period is important for online language learners.