Kirk,
Do you have ways of teaching them how to use these skills? Does your institution provide a orientation or do you provide one?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Stacy,
Great point. Hopefully your institution can help you with resources. I know libraries have created some good resources at many institutions, if faculty know about them.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Julie,
Great points! Your experience will serve you well! I also think there should be consistency among courses at the same institution. That would help!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
kristen,
That is right! Do you have them an "test" on the LMS usage.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Carla,
Great answer! What do you use to help them navigate the LMS?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I think there are some skills that all online students need. These include, being able to access the Internet, navigate a web browser, log into am LMS, upload and download files, create Word documents and Powerpoint files, being able to send email, and a basic knowledge of web etiquette. I mainly teach classes on the history of visual communication, so there are a few additional skills that I see as vital to their success. These skills are, conducting research online, navigating an online library, understanding copyright law when using web images, being able to use Photoshop or some other form of creative software, and being able to save files as .doc, .ppt, .pdf, and .jpg. In my classes, students must be able to research and create art, so it requires a slightly different skill set than some other classes, like a math or business class.
For students to be able to have a grasp on computer basics really helps a lot. Knowing how to open up the Explorer, navigate around and find files, open them and re-save them again under a different name to another folder on their computer is essential. For students to get MS Office 2010, for example, from AIU and then install it enables them to use the right software (instead of OpenOffice) for their unit assignments.
Those who don't have those skills or who don't quickly develop them have challenges ahead of them.
Technical skills with respect to how to write, express yourself through effective communication that is also professional and on-point, and know how to apply APA to cover sheets, citations and references are valuable inside as well as outside the university environment.
Learners definitely need to know how to navigate the courseroom well; they learn and practice this before starting classes but tend to forget a great deal. I see many learners needing some guidance, some reminders as to which elements of the classroom they need to be paying attention to. Other skills include attaching documents, using Word to format essays, and replying to other learner posts.
Darcy Schultz
Too often, the term “technical skills†is associated with software and hardware, yet the basics of uploading a file, copying and pasting, saving a file (in Word 2010), converting a file from one format to another, etc. These are basics that too often online instructors assume all online students know, but in fact many do not.
Also, students must simply be familiar with the ins and outs of their computer – hardware and software they will need for the course – and the course delivery system of AIU. Along with this is where to turn for help within the school – and outside, if necessary – when there is a tech question or something is not working.
Of course, students should have a solid understanding of how to do searches online, including Boolean searches, why one browser might be better than another, and what websites can be helpful to overall online course management (such as time management and scheduling tools). There are also excellent writing and reading websites which gives students a technical hand in becoming better at writing and reading. Too, they should know the benefits of using social networking in the online classroom.
Lastly, students should know how to be on the lookout for software and – when needed – upgraded hardware necessary to optimize their learning experiences.
It is interesting to consider: what might the online instructor next need to consider in the technology arena with his / her students?
It's important for online students to know how to submit a file, copy/paste, save a document, send an email, and post to a discussion board. Although this may seem basic, many students are deficient in some of the aforementioned skills and need further guidance and help. It makes it frustrating for students who are new to the online environment to be successful when they do not have the basic computer skills to begin with.
Some computer skills are essential for online learning. Without these skills online learning may be very difficult. Students should be able to navigate through the course, create and send email, upload files, and use Word.
These skills are important for making online learning effective.
I really like to see students take on the challenge of an online course. I do see where some students need extra assistance in learning how to submit work, upload, and navigate through a platform.
Students must be able to navigate a website. There are so many resources vailable in the virtual classroom and students need to be able to find them. I have found that many students are not able to locate the ebook or embedded resources and many other instrumental aspects of the classroom. I create a recorded tour of the classroom to help them get the most out of the virtual classroom.
Students first need to know when they need help. Many times they wait until the last minute.... They attempt "technical" things that they do not have a clue about.... So know what you know... then get assistance. Second. They need to have a basic "online" computer class before they even enroll.... and if they do not pass the basic..
Then maybe this is not the class for them. The other and most important thing is that they need a computer.... Oh my goodness, I have had students doing these things on a smart phone... I cannot believe they can read the information let alone complete... However, the children of today know how to work the computers; it is the "senior" crowd that struggles with this.
I am a mathematics professor, so I find it very important for my students to be able to type math symbols correctly as well as having the skill to upload a mathematical graph from Excel or a graphing website. It would be nice if there was a short class/video on how to do these things as students always tend to get stuck with these issues instead of focusing on the math. I have created a couple of files and it seems students are doing better with the symbols and graphs, but I still see room for improvement!
Molly
The technical skills I see as important for the online students are mostly basic computer skills. Uploading documents, using a browser, using Word or Excel, setting up Adobe Reader, and using their Computer/Laptop.
Obviously they need to be able to email, copy and paste and spell check documents. But the one area where I see students having the most difficulty is saving documents to their computer first before they upload to send a document through the assignment module.
This one area seems to create unnecessary difficulty and causes students to be late submitting assignments. Many just don't understand why their assignments cannot be visualized on the other end.
They also need to know how to format documents and organize their files using an easily recognized naming system.
I agree with your suggestion to have resources to sharpen their skills and maybe an assessment to demonstrate skills before enrollment in an online course. Some remedial training may be necessary and weaknesses can be identified up front before students become overly frustrated.
I think online students need to know how to attach a file on an assignment and know how to use spell checker. The reason is because I do have some students having difficulty at the beginning of class in these areas. They do catch on quickly in leaning how to attach files, but not as quickly as I'd like in using spellchecker. In fact, even after editing some of the work, students continue to make the same spelling/grammar errors.
Marie Moran
Students must have a grasp of basic computer skills including:
- Accessing the World Wide Web through a web browser
- Accessing the LMS for the course
- Searching the Internet
- Opening, typing in, and saving a word processing document
- Accessing, receiving, and sending email (including attachments)
- Basic computer navigation skills (use of a mouse, etc.; basic knowledge of Windows, etc.)
I typically provide students with a guide to basic technology requirements and skills at the start of the course.
