Taking time to connect with each student not only helps maintain relationships but also allows us an opportunity to gather important data to inform our assessment. It gives US feedback on the effectiveness of what we are doing. In a bricks and mortar environment, this would be equivalent to informal checkins through the day or the kind of personalised conversations we have when we confer with students individually and in small groups.
By scheduling regular check-ins with our students, we gather data that can inform plans for ‘where to next’ for their learning.
Check out this great resource (.PDF) compiled from the audience of “Inquiry by the Fire” with Kimberly Mitchell, Trevor Mackenzie and Kath Murdoch.