18 Years of teaching technical communication online: Tricks and traps, Dos and Don´ts, strengths and weaknesses

This paper shares lessons learned from seventeen years of teaching and administering an online master´s program in technical communication. We conclude that online education in general-and asynchronous online education in particular-is comparable to face-to-face education but different in many respects. The differences represent both hazards for teachers to avoid (and to help students to avoid) and opportunities for learning. This paper suggests ways to make the best of these differences, discusses the effects of the flexible schedule afforded by asynchronous instruction, explains the need to anticipate different student expectations, offers advice on time management and participation for both teachers and students, and discusses the value of archived class discussions.