Learning online requires a lot of communication. Because you aren’t meeting — and communicating — face-to-face, you need to engage actively in other types of exchanges. First, welcome available communication by reading posted assignments and directions that advise you about how to meet expectations successfully. Next, initiate communication, asking specific questions online about what to do and how to do it.

When you e-mail your instructor with a question, practice respectful professional communication. Think about your audience — a hard-working teacher who probably posts many class materials and responds to many questions from students in different courses. You can guess that a busy instructor appreciates a direct question from a motivated student who wants help. Ask specific questions well before deadlines, and give your instructor plenty of time to reply. Consider your tone so that you sound polite, interested, and clear about what you need to know.

If your class uses a CMS or LMS, send your message through that system (unless your instructor asks you to use his or her campus e-mail address). Right away your instructor will know which class you’re in and, in a small composition class, recognize you by your first name. If you e-mail outside the CMS, send the message from your campus account, and use the subject line to identify the course name or number and your problem: Deadline for Comp 101 Reading or Question about Math 110 Study Guide.

If you are unsure how to address your instructor, begin with “Hello, Professor Welton” or “Hi, Ms. Welton,” following the instructor’s preference if known. Avoid too much informality, such as greeting your instructor with “Yo, Prof” or “Hiya, Chief,” asking “Whatzup with the paper?” or closing with “Later.” Conclude with your name (including your last name and a section number if the class is large).

Proofread and spell-check your message before you send it so that your writing does not look hasty or careless. Consider setting it to return an automatic “read” confirmation when the recipient opens it so that you do not need to e-mail again to check its arrival. Avoid e-mailing from a personal account that might be mistaken for spam and blocked from the campus system. Remember that your instructor’s relationship with you is professional, not social; do not send social-networking invitations or forward humorous stories or messages about politics, religion, or other personal topics.