You answer a question about the project. Then another version arrives, followed by a third. You want students to ask when they're unsure, but repeating the same explanation all afternoon isn't a great use of anyone's time.
The handbook suggests a course FAQ as a shared place for recurring questions. A useful FAQ gives students a quicker answer and helps you notice where the course information needs to be clearer.
Start with questions students actually ask
Collect the recurring themes: finding instructions, submitting work, interpreting a requirement, or locating feedback. Use the words a student would recognize. A heading like 'Where do I upload the project?' is easier to scan than 'Assessment submission protocols.'
Remove identifying information and never turn a private student circumstance into a public example.
Give the answer and the next action
Keep the response brief, accurate, and specific. Link to the current instructions when more detail is needed. If a question concerns a policy, make sure the answer agrees with the syllabus and governing course information.
Don't create an unofficial second set of rules inside the FAQ.
Put it where students need it
Make the FAQ easy to find from the course's normal navigation. For assignment-specific questions, link the relevant answer near the task. Show students how to use it instead of assuming they'll discover it on their own.
A resource that takes several guesses to locate can become one more reason to send an email.
Respond respectfully when an answer already exists
Point the student to the specific answer and clarify it if necessary. 'The project FAQ explains the file format here' is more helpful than a general instruction to search the course. If several students still misunderstand the same answer, revise the wording.
Keep an appropriate route for individual questions
A shared FAQ can't address everything. Explain how students should contact you about personal circumstances, private information, or a question the resource doesn't resolve. The aim is easier access to information, not a barrier to asking for help.
Review it before the next offering
Remove outdated dates and check links. Repeated questions may also identify an assignment prompt or course page that needs improvement. Fix the original source where possible.
Use repeated questions to repair the source
Suppose several students ask whether the project needs an individual reflection. Adding an FAQ answer may help immediately, but check the assignment prompt too. If the requirement is missing or contradictory there, the original instructions need attention. Otherwise, you have created another place students must consult to understand a single task.
Keep a clear distinction between clarification and a changed requirement. Follow the applicable process when a change is necessary, and communicate it where students will see it. Don't quietly introduce a new assessed component through an answer only some students have found.
Give each answer enough context to stand on its own. “Yes, that's fine” may work in a private exchange but makes little sense later in a shared resource. State the question, the specific answer, and the current source for fuller instructions. That keeps the FAQ useful after the original conversation has disappeared into everyone's memory.
Choose the three questions you've answered most often this month. Write short answers, check them against the course information, and put them in one visible location. Start small enough that you'll keep the resource current.
Adapted from The New Faculty Handbook by Zafer Unal, pp. 46-47.
