Qualities of a successful online teacher

I’m sure there are many important qualities of successful online environments, but surely one of the most important considerations, from my own personal experience, is the instructor. According to the article I just read, online teachers must BE VOCAL, which does not mean that they should “talk” a lot. The qualities of the successful online teacher and the words the acronym VOCAL stands for are:

(Qualities followed by examples)
1. Visible--Instructor’s web site, timely instructor discussion comments, frequent e-mails, video/audio clips
2. Organized--Clear course organization, assignments, and due dates
3. Compassionate--Get to know students, case-by-case reaction to late work
4. Analytical--Timely feedback and grading, clear assessment guidelines, student participation tracking, student course assessment
5. Leader-by-example--“Model best practices in teaching”

Savery, John R. (2005). BE VOCAL: Characteristics of successful online instructors. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 4(2), 141-154. Retrieved Sept. 3, 2006 from http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/showissue.cfm?volID=4&IssueID=15 (pdf link here).