Colleen,
It is hard changing culture. You are doing everything you can!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The pitfalls I see repeatedly are students not staying on track, believing they can "catch up" after missing a great deal of work, not taking responsibility for their actions, becoming overwhelmed due to lack of activity, requesting a plan of action to catch up but failing to follow it, not understanding how to use readings and textbooks effectively to maximum retention and understanding and failing to achieve objectives set out in assignments but mistakenly thinking "writing enough" will somehow satisfy the objectives.
Samantha,
You are right! Students underestimate the time it takes to complete homework which can be as detrimental to them as the procrastination.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Probably the biggest one is having developed bad habits long before they got to my class. :-)
That's why I wish I got them all first semester.
Part of is is lack of engagement, or too much emphasis on a central, cookie-cutter model that does not promote creativity and a true connection of educational community established within specific teaching and learning segments, known as classes.
Too much emphasis is on the bells and whistles, not enough on good old fashioned teaching, which still works well, every time - when the instructor actually knows how to teach.
Constantinos,
You and I are "on the same page" in thinking. I follow Chickering and Gamson's principles of good undergraduate teaching and they were created in 1987 before online learning was modernized. Good teaching will transcend any delivery method!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Pitfalls I see students falling into include the following.
1) I often see students procrastinating. I encourage them to develop a calendar that includes all assignments and due dates. I stress the importance of planning and time management. I offer one-to-one assistance to help them get organized.
2) I also see students making excuses. I advise them to push themselves and dig deep. I also tell them to focus on the thing that drives them most and why they entered the program. We all seek higher education for a reason. For some it may be a learning experience and others it may be career and pay advancement. Whatever the reason, tell it to yourself everyday to keep you working towards success and accomplishing your goals.
Time Management is the biggest pitfall I see my students falling into. I always try to provide them with a guide to follow. A reasonable weekly plan that should fit into any schedule. Not saying it's set in stone as they can alter it, but atleast it's the building block to assist them.
Kimberly,
Great post. We have started providing training to our students regarding the use of the Outlook calendar and how to plan and design assignments as work projects. Many times they underestimate the time it takes to complete work.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Bob,
I agree with you. Time management may be the biggest problems with an online student. Students are so used to having someone to tell them what to do. combine this with the underestimation of the time it takes to complete assignments is a recipe for failure.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The pitfalls that most students fall into are listed in the course. They include:
· Underestimate the amount of time necessary to complete assignments involved in an online course
· Try to do too much (i.e., take too many courses or work too many hours while taking courses)
· Overestimate their technology skills
· Believe they are better collaborators than they actually are
· Believe they can "do it on their own"
· Lack communication skills
· Lack initiative
· Assume online learning is easy
· Procrastinate
Of the principles that I see in the above list, the one that I think is the most common is procrastination. I think that everybody goes to school in order to be successful, but most people do not know what it takes to be successful. I include myself in this classification.
When I finally earned my doctorate, I was 59 years old. It took me a long time. When other individuals asked me why it took so long, tickly when they already have their doctorate, I typically replied in a rather cynical way that I was slumming.
Even so, the best way to get the students out of the pit is to make them aware of what the pit looks like and why they are in it. When I was an undergraduate, I did not have a mentor. I did not have someone who could guide me through school. My father wanted me to go to college, and that's as far as he could do. He succeeded and I succeeded, but what I did afterwards was not necessarily in my best interest. I floundered. Now, many years later, I think that it was inevitable.
I regularly see my students procrastinate or underestimate the amount of time required to complete the LMS portion of the class. These students need constant encouragement and constant reminding to complete the assignments. In the end the student is upset and overwhelmed by the bulk of material that they need to complete in a very short time now. As I identify those students falling behind, I provide them with a print out of the work completed and remind them of what needs to be finished. I ask them if they need help, or are having access problems, and answer questions where they may be stuck. In the end the student needs to complete the assignments.
Time management is a big issue. I have many students that find it difficulty to balance school and their personal lives so end up falling behind.
Donald,
Interesting point. I do think not everyone wants to be in college they just don't have anywhere else to go! They don't come to any college class with the skills to be successful. I have a hard time getting students to understand that student centered means student responsible--that means they can't always be a victim
.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
David,
I agree with you! I have become testing the use of the calendar as a way to plan assignments and parts of assignment. I haven't used it long enough to determine success; we shall see. . . .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jessica,
Correct! Once they fall behind it becomes a race to complete everything and everything suffers.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Melissa,
I see this this alot as well at the college level. However, that is why I feel it is important for the students to know the "basics" of writing and APA or MLA citation. Also, some students want someone else to do the work for them--as they lack the initiative to click on link that provids addtional resources, etc.
I think that one of the biggest pitfalls I see my students falling into is lack of time management. Some will let you know that they have to work 50 hours and have family responsibilities. I remind them that they also have an obligation to the class. To help them manage their time better, I tell them to make a plan. Online students need structure, and a study calendar is a great way to create it. They also need to log on daily and spend 30 minutes a day doing something for the online class. One draw of online classes is that students only need Internet access to connect to their courses. They also need to spend some time looking ahead so that they know what is coming up. Knowing what is due in six weeks, not just the next day, can help students maximize their time. Finally, students need to know that if they fall behind, they should speak up and not be ashamed of it. :-)
Finding a time and place to study is a pitfall for online students. I think they like the convenience of an online environment, but struggle with equating there are still study skills and responsibilities that correlate with a traditional learning environment as well. I imagine some online students try to study while playing with their children, or preparing a meal, or spending time on vacation with family. The bottom line is there are some age-old habits and components that are most beneficial to learning a skill or gaining knowledge.
Natasa,
I agree with you. We need to hold students accountable of the basics of writing. Actually students should see APA or MLA as the best way as it defines everything in need to write a complete paper. There is no guessing.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Willie ,
Are you surprised that they take the idea of an online course so lightly regarding time spent. I have often wondered why the don't think this is important when they pay the money to take it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
