Online Communication Module: Preliminary Skills Assessment

This first module of the TEC 908 course will cover Email and Online Communication Skills. As a guiding document, we will be using the EdTechProfile, an assessment instrument developed by the California Department of Education State Educational Technology Service. While this Profile was developed for California educators it, obviously, has value for educators in other states as well and provides a benchmark for mastery of these important online communication skills.

There is most likely a wide range of existing skills among those of you enrolled in this course. On one end of the spectrum are the "digital natives" who may have trouble remembering a time when they didn't use Email and the Internet/Web on a daily basis. On the other end are the "digital immigrants" who first used Email and the Internet/Web in their adult years.

Since so many are self-taught, even regular users of Email and the Internet/Web have gaps in their understanding and proficiencies.

The goal of this module of the course will be to reinforce those skills with which you are already familiar and to introduce and practice those skills with which you are less familiar.

By the end of the module, you should be comfortable with all of the skills in the Beginning and Intermediate Users categories of the EdTechProfile and on your way to being a Proficient User.

We will start this module of the course with a checklist that has been taken directly from the EdTechProfile assessment. You will use the checklist chart your progress through the module. You might want to check off each of the skills as they are introduced and practiced.

Print a copy of the Email Skills Checklist and spend a few minutes assessing your existing online communication skills. Save this document with your course materials. You will be reporting your preliminary assessment results in a few minutes and will use the same document to re-assess your skills upon completion of the module.

Email Skills Checklist (open and print)

You will be able to return to these online online activities after the module is complete to review or practice these skills if you feel that you need more practice.

Next: Introduction to Online Communication Module