Office hours are a time to build relationships and are valuable moments that are particularly well-suited for fostering support of your students. It’s important to design and structure office hours so that students have a set understanding of what they can expect, and feel comfortable in attending. The structure of and the preparation for office hours, much like the structure of coursework and class facilitation are key components to office hour success. Keeping the following list of important components handy may increase the successful outcomes you’re hoping to achieve.
Schedule: Set a regular schedule for your office hours, and communicate this schedule to your students. Consistency makes it easier for people to plan their visits.
Set Clear Objectives: Define the purpose of your office hours. Are they for academic assistance, mentorship, career guidance, or other specific goals? Clarify this in advance.
Organize Your Space: Ensure your office or meeting space is clean, organized, and welcoming. Have all necessary materials and resources ready, such as textbooks, reference materials, or equipment.
Review Relevant Materials: Familiarize yourself with the content or topics that are likely to come up during office hours. This could involve reviewing course materials, assignments, key concepts and project details
Create an Agenda: Prepare an agenda for your office hours, outlining the topics or questions you expect to cover. This helps keep the meeting on track and ensures you address important issues.
Gather Necessary Materials: If you need specific documents, notes, or tools for your office hours, ensure you have them readily accessible.
Prepare Answers and Solutions: Anticipate common questions, challenges, or problems that may arise during office hours and prepare answers, explanations, or solutions in advance.
Provide Additional Resources: Have a list of recommended readings, websites, or resources on hand to share with attendees who may need further information.
Determine Availability: Decide how much time you'll allocate to each visitor during your office hours. This helps ensure that everyone gets a fair share of your time.
Communication: If there are any changes to your office hours, make sure to communicate these changes well in advance to avoid confusion.
Technical Preparation: Ensure that your technology is in working order. Test your video conferencing or communication platform, microphone, and camera.
Promote Your Office Hours: Make sure your students are aware of the office hours schedule and location (virtual or physical). Use email, announcements, or other communication methods to remind them.
Stay Informed: It's important to stay informed about student progress and performance. Review assignments, quizzes, or other assessments beforehand.
Create a Welcoming Environment: Ensure a welcoming and non-intimidating environment. Keep a friendly and open demeanor. Let students know they should feel comfortable discussing their concerns or questions.
Document Interactions: Consider keeping records of your office hour interactions, such as notes on questions asked, feedback given, and any actions to be taken. This can be valuable for tracking progress and following up on issues.
Works Cited:
Ken Gall, Daniel W. Knight, Lawrence E. Carlson, Jacquelyn F. Sullivan. (2003) Journal of Engineering Education. LINK
Allison M. Alford. (2021) Coffee Connections: Rebranding Virtual Office Hours in an Online Course. The Western ABC Bulletin. LINK
Elissa Nadworny. (2019) College Students: How to Make Office Hours Less Scary. NPR: Illinois Public Media. LINK
Ashley Mowreader (2023) Academic Success Tip: Rebrand Office Hours. LINK
Jennie M. Carr, PhD. (2019) Faculty Focus: Two Tips to Increase Student’s Use of Office Hours. LINK
Tala Khanmalek (2020) How to Design Better Office Hours. LINK
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for your input!