How do I train a successor to answer student questions in my online course?

Go through your inbox, community posts and live-session notes and group the questions by lesson. Write your usual answer to each, including the reasoning behind it. This turns what lives in your head into something your successor can read. Mark the questions that need judgment, such as refund requests, access problems or students who are struggling.

Let your successor read for a while before writing anything. Then have them draft replies that you review before sending. Give feedback on tone as well as accuracy, since students notice when the voice changes suddenly. Move them to answering alone in stages, starting with the simple topics.

Keep a clear line on who decides what. Tell your successor which cases they can settle on their own and which come to you. Hold a short review of tricky cases on a regular schedule. As the course changes, make sure the answer library is updated and that students are told who to contact. The aim is that no student feels the transition. Record a few sample calls or screen walkthroughs of how you handle common problems. Your successor can replay them, and students get consistent answers even when you are not available.

Key takeaways

• Turn your common answers into a written library before handing over.
• Have your successor draft replies that you review first.
• Define which decisions they make alone and which come to you.