It sounds like you are very upfront with your students when you are preparing them to be successful in your class Mark. Do you have students that struggle with knowing the technology that is needed to be successful? If so, how do you deal with those issues?
Since I teach introductory courses with first session students, I get this response all the time! Students feel it is easier and can pass with flying colors with little effort because they are online. I normally start all my classes with an outline of my course expectations. Once they hear what I expect from them, they understand that this is no longer a “free ride” to an A. I do have high expectations for my students, and I tell them that all the time. Research has shown the higher the expectations you have for students the better they perform. It’s not all just about what or how you teach. I don’t assume that my students will perform lower than my expectations; in fact I believe they possess the skills and abilities needed they just need to learn how to use them. I say high expectations, not to mean that they should be “perfect” but at a reasonable level. And more so that they understand what it means to do work at the “college level”. Most of my students do understand and realize that they will need to work hard to meet my expectations. Best of all they realize that when I challenge them to do their best, it helps them to really understand the material and retain it.
Although online learning has been around now for awhile, it is still relatively new if you compare it to traditional on-campus “brick and mortar” schools. So, I think the misconception that it is “easy” taking classes online can get confused with the convenience and flexibility that online schooling offers. I tell students the “quality” of online education is the same if not better than a class you will take “on-campus” and this is coming from someone who has done all their schooling with “on-campus” schools. Since online you are predominantly writing vs. actually speaking or presenting information, I think it takes much more thought and critical thinking. You have to do research and reflect on your experiences to help support your work on papers. This all requires much more thought in many classes on-campus where much of the curriculum is not based on authentic assessment. Let’s face it, most of us don’t retain the information we were tested on in Chemistry class, but we do remember parts of what we learned in Psychology class. I think that is where much of the difference lies and most students in my classes realize what a mistake they made, in thinking online-classes would be a breeze.
Preparing for an online course first comes with knowledge of the online environment. I begin by telling the student that there will be lots of work but if you log in everyday and stay on top of your assignments you will be fine. Set a schedule for yourself and try to stick with it. Its all about time manangement.
Time flies in accelerated courses. I encourage students to print the task list. Read all the tasks. Check to see if the final assignment is a culmination of the others and if it is to add to it as they go. Our students have an orientation, as I suspect maybe all of them do, so this helps some but until they get into class they really don’t understand. Those that come to chat or check the archives get a lot of help but many obviously don’t. I think I will try using more emails to try to get these students to connect.
I already email them expectations at the beginning just before class starts. I am going to monitor attendance more closely and make sure I am annoying those that aren’t doing anything. This session I have some that are turning in all their work at the end. They miss so much this way. I have to realize I can’t help those that don’t want to be helped. By reaching out more, though, I will find the ones that do want help and maybe don’t know what to do.
You are not being annoying Deborah, you are showing your students that you care about their success (although I agree that some of them may think it is annoying :-)).
I would also encourage you to set deadlines for your students and make it clear they cannot turn in assignments late unless there is mitigating circumstances that they have talked to you about. I have found that to be very helpful in getting the students to stay on task. Putting it off until the very end of the class is never good for the student or the teacher!
I inform my students that working on a degree - online or onsite, is very difficult. You have to be dedicated and focus in both situations. However, online you are not present in a physical classroom. So, you need to have to make an extra effort. I have attended both situations and find that the online environment as challenging if not more challenging because of that element.
Lydia - I agree. Going to school online involves extra focus. To succeed, students need to be very organized both in their thinking and time management skills!
Mark McMullen
