A Model for Reading Digital Facial Tones and Body Language in the Online Classroom Leslie J. King, Ph.D. Franklin University Columbus, Ohio

Human Interaction Verbal and non-verbal communication can be uniquely separate, but in most situations they both need to be present to understand the full meaning of the communication (Arndt and Janney, 1987)

Words All non-verbal communication is that which does not use words (Andersen, 1999) “The telltale body is all tongues.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Educational Goal of Communicating For there to be verbal and non-verbal communication between students and faculty: o Students and faculty o Students and students To what end: o In order for faculty to observe and determine student comprehension of the course material. Satisfactory comprehension --- move on Unsatisfactory comprehension – intervention strategy

Criticism In the distance learning classroom, non-verbal communication is not present, therefore online faculty do not have the same ability as F2F instructors to determine a student’s learning comprehension.

Non-verbal Traditional Facial Expressions Eye Contact Body Language o Posture o Gestures Evolving Attendance (tardiness or absence) Late submissions

Information Gathered Non-verbal clues can indicate that there are potential barriers in the learning process: o Confusion o Frustration o Lack of engagement o Agreement o Understanding Are potential barriers actually opportunities for interactions.

Potential Causes How the material is presented How the course is designed Personal circumstances Even when everything is ideal

Myth (D) Feedback Loop

Non-Verbal Clues Feedback Loop (D) Feedback Loop (E) Non-verbal Clues Feedback Loop

Online Non-Verbals’ Frequencies of course log-ins Navigation behavior Late assignment submissions Last minute submissions of assignments Discussion board post quality Low scores on assignments Slow responses to s Types of questions students ask (D) Feedback Loop (E) Non- verbal Clues Feedback Loop

Observation Strategies Develop practice assessments or exercises that can provide information on student performance. Insert “Reflective Learning” components which focus on a student sharing their learning experience. Online instructors can build into their teaching routine the observation of student log-in patterns and navigation behavior. Don’t just look at a student’s assignment scores independently; Similar to making eye contact with a student, students directly about their performance, log-in frequency, discussion board activity and assignment grades. Solicit feedback from students as to how things are going, the good and bad…

Key Feedback needs to be timely o Look for non-verbal clues during the lesson Intervention strategies o Student specific and personal o May apply to the whole class Remain flexible and adaptable to “change” during the learning process Needs to be consistent

Helpful Hints Plan ahead to observe non-verbal clues Change instructional behavior Develop your classroom management around the non-verbal feedback loop Document what you observe and plan for improvements when the class is over

Observe and Intervene (D) Feedback Loop (E) Non-verbal Clues Feedback Loop Non-verbal ObservationIntervention Strategy

References Andersen, P.A. (1999). Nonverbal communication: Forms and functions. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co. Arndt, H., & Janney, R.W. (1987). InterGrammar: Toward an integrative model of verbal, prosodic and kinesic choices in speech. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.