I have been teaching online for nearly 20 years and this is the first time I have been introduced to different types of students/participation. I had never heard of noisy students, etc. Super interesting.
Online courses require more time and effort by the students. Communicating with them about this might help them set up a schedule they can use to manage their time for course work and personal time or work related matters.
I enjoyed learning about the different types of learners, their attributess, and arreas they might have difficulties in the online classroom.
One takeaway I have from this module is to provide a pre-course survey to evaluate technical issues/understanding students may have to prepare to assist in any way we can.
I gained knowledge on various types of learners and traits which may hinder the learning process.
Also red flags which can derail the learning process and the importance to learn what policies
and procedures to use to manage these instances in the university handbook.
I learned reasons why students leave a program and how to encourage them to stay. I've had more than a few students who wanted to drop out because they had technological difficulties.
The idea of getting a short bio from the students to give a path in to opening discussions when conflicts arrive was particularly useful.
Participation can include affirmative and interrogative posts to help engage learners.
Doing detective work to know WHY a student is acting a certain way or wanting to quit. Look beyond the assignments (or lack of) to see the root of the troubles.
Being an old guy in the technical school field is sometimes a challenge,
but this module has givin me some wonderful ideas as to how to handle
things both online and in person on hand instruction.
Procrastination is the biggest issue with online learning
I like the break down of the different types of online learners and how they can affect the rest of the class. Im going to use this tool to help me recognize these typs of personalities to better manage the class.
Make sure code of conduct is followed for onlne interactions written or verbal. Handle problem students right away with recorded email discussion. Encourage hesitant learners to stay on top of assignments and not to procrastinate. Be available for q and a. Set personal communication times. Repond prioratively and timely to questions.
A recurring theme, not just in this module, is communication. Making sure the lines of communications are open and used by the instructor can make the difference in student success.
Utilizing tried and true strategies to facilitate the following activites:
- Keeping course records.
- Communicating with students.
- Counseling students.
- Dealing with undesirable behavior.
- Resolving student conflicts.
- Minimizing student attrition.
By doing so, the online learning environment for students and educators may be productive and enjoyable. It may also become an effective social connection while students and educators are in remote settings.
This study course was extremely helpful in explaining how to bring in students who are not participating, disruptive, overwhelmed by technology, procrastinate, disruptive to class and instructor.
As it will always be in the classroom, some students are more motivated and adaptable than others. I've learned over the years that alienated and disruptive students might need a little more personal coaching and reminding of protocol to make them more agreeable. A little understanding goes a long way.
I also have everyone understand that their focus needs to be on their classwork and not outside happenstances. Life occurs...but our class is an oasis of cooking and cooperation for a few hours a day. If there is truly a disruptive and violent student then policies are in place to deal with that.
Institutial policy and how they relate to online student are important. It is a great way to ensure that students are making satisfactory academic progress.
The resons and the methods of dealing with attrition as well as the ways in which these problems can be dealt with are very important because this is a problem that can even demotivate an instructor.
Reply to Pamela Gabbay's post:
I agree with you Pamela. We need to document everything. In addition to keeping a great record, it can be useful in the future when you need to make a reference about previous communications and follow up.
