tecnhical problems
Online courses can be diffuclt for students who don't have computer knowledge.
Agreed! And sometimes it's difficult to discern whether a student is not successfuly due to technical difficulties or the assignment at hand.
I find a phone call to the student, and walking them through the steps, narrating as I go, helps tremendously. Use dialog like, "I'm clicking the red arrow in the upper right corner. See it? Let's click it and tell me what you see..."
The truth is that today's climate doesn't wait for people who don't have computer knowledge. That's a fact of our time. So the online student has then a double opportunity! First to learn the content, and second to learn the technology.
Do you find procrastinators who consistently blame their performance on technical difficulties? If so how do you approach the situation?
I have not experienced procrastinators that blame it on technical difficulties because of the equipment expectations my college has for students that want to participate in online classes. A few times we have experienced issues with our software, but that impacts all the students. Having said that, I think one of the things you can do Kyle is set the expectations at the beginning of the class that the student's equipment needs to meet or exceed the technical expectations of the school. In addition, communicating to the students suggestions on how to organize their time is another way you can set some expectations--so they don't procrastinate.
Cindy:
You are correct in that online courses can be difficult for students who do not have computer knowledge.
I think it is a good idea to require all online students to take a basic computer class and/or a "practice" class using the OLMS (Online Learning Management System) that is being offered at their institution, especially for new students.
Some students can lose their interest in the course when they are struggling with the technical aspects of the course.
Kim Houck
I agree; courses can be difficult if students do not have computer knowledge. If you think of all the things we take for granted. Some of these may include; uploading a file, writing to the discussion board, email, group project and IM. Writing a MS Word document in APA and adding references can also add to a student’s stress.
This is why I think students should have one class just for orientation and devoted to these concepts. This class would include the basics and demonstrate how to develop skills needed for an online environment. Provide additional resources and maybe even a practice environment, where they can learn. This environment would have to be safe and provide a lot of positive reinforcement.
Whether the course is on ground or on line, I do some things in the first class period that requires the students to use their technology successfully so I know they are all on board. This includes; uploading assignments, taking a mini online quiz, discussion forums and finally, emailing me a message. Now, exuses- for the most part- are eliminated!
Great idea Trudy. What do you do when you realize some of your students don't have the technology knowledge and abilities to be successful in class?
IF the problems are truly IT in nature, then I direct them to one of the mini sessions that our IT department puts on for new students. Our school also has online instruction and I post the link to this in the first week. I will sit down with them if they are local. What I find more frequently is not having access to the internet. Hard to believe but it is true. I encourage them to find wireless locations such as the library, Taco Johns, etc...and make use of their time effeciently-printing off all the assignments ahead of time, prepare answers at home and then when they get back to the computer, they can complete everything all at once.
It is surprising that a student who signs up to take an online class doesn't have better technology available to them. But your tips are terrific and are very good for students that are struggling with technology.
Yes, this is certainly a difficult consideration. Teaching online is the equivalent of dealing with all we might on-ground with the added challenges of managing technology thrown in.
Indeed, some students use the technical difficulties issue as a crutch, but for some it really is an issue. (Too, we need remember that some of our students are taking online classes because it is really their only option—they really are out in the middle of rural nowhere so they might be at the mercy of dial-up and less reliable phone lines.)
But it is a tricky balancing act—that is, giving students the benefit of the doubt when it comes to technical issues while still holding everyone to some type of standard.
Yes, it is a tricky balancing act Mica. When appropriate, asking for documentation of the difficulties can be helpful. Taking into consideration the performance of the student to date is also helpful.
Very true. I have students asking basic questions about how to use word, how to save a file, how to install an application. In a brick and mortar setting, I could have just walked over and worked the issue on their computer, but it is much harder in an online setting.
Technical problems can be very frustrating--for students and the teacher! Sometimes it takes some creativity on the part of the instructor to help students with their technology problems.
A common issue that I've seen at a few different schools is a student who constantly updates the class on their technical problems. "I can't hear anything again... Now I have no picture..." It can become very disruptive.
I generally ask those students to try restarting their computer, contacting tech support, or at least keeping their issues to themselves so that the rest of the class can continue with the lesson.
I teach beginning algebra students face-to-face and our homework is submitted through an online interface. I love it because it is full of examples, videos, step-by-step tutorials for solving the problems, etc. There are no more excuses for not doing the homework because they didn't "get it".
The major issue I have found with the procrastinators though is "technical difficulties". I have had to be very firm and consistent with the fact that students have a set time to accomplish the work, that there are alternatives to doing the work at home (library, campus, friends and family computers), and that they should anticipate problems and plan ahead to ensure they are not thwarted by the technology. In my experience, they always manage to post to Facebook in spite of their "technical difficulties" so that excuse doesn't wash with me.
It is obviously not possible to determine whether tat is really the case.But, I often refer these students to tech. suppport for assistance.
Roy R.
Well, the fact is, that technology is a major part of todays' society. Online can be difficult for some students who have been out of school for a number of years. These individuals are not up-to-date of the types of technology that exists, and while I do find that some are frustrated; when I go into great details and demonstrations for them, I find that this bit of creativity of appreciated. So it shows that students are willing to and like to learn. I have had technical problems connecting to the virtual campus, or while I'm already in it, I sometimes lose microphone connectivity, so no sound, and this can be frustrating but I don't let that stop me from covering whatever it is. During these times, I try to remain calm, so as to not get the class upset, and I usually explain to them what happened and why it may have happened. Usually students tend to take this information well, because then they can see that instructors have technical difficulties as well, and that we don't have a special computer that doesn't cause issues for us. All in all, the student is able to relate, and not feel like they are inadequate due to perhaps their lack of technical knowledge. I do try to help them with any technical issues that I can, if the situation is one that I am familiar with, and maybe something that I've encountered. If I cannot help them, I usually refer them to technical support.
Hi Linda, we put the technical help line link in our discussions, so it is easy for learners to access and use when they have problems. Our learners biggest problem is in using attachments! Tina
