Online Persona | Origin: EL108
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Preparing Students to Become Good Online Learners --> Online Persona
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
I came away realizing that teaching in a virtual space is about truly meeting learners where they are, not just presenting material, and being honest about my own areas for growth along the way. Going forward, I plan to be more deliberate in helping each person build the habits, confidence, and awareness they need to stay engaged and succeed in this environment.
One area of this module really caused me to really stretch my thinking about students who struggle with learning disabilities when I came to the following statements: “Students may also process information more slowly and need more time than typically expected to understand the course content. This disability may also lead to a lower level of reasoning and a lack of ability to follow logical steps. However, this may also be connected to memory issues such as students having a lack of ability in remembering or recalling information.”
In nursing programs, there is a critical need for students to prioritize safety and sequential order when performing procedures. For the learning disability mentioned above, the instructor should seek to reduce the student's cognitive load and provide opportunities to experience structured repetition. Some examples follow as it relates to how I could better meet the needs of nursing students who struggle with learning disabilities:
- Chunking: Break down complex procedures (for example, insertion of the nasogastric tube) into small, manageable steps. Don’t move to Step B until Step A is mastered.
- Visual Aids: For students with reasoning struggles, create a visual "decision tree" to aid them in navigating clinical logic.
- Scaffolding: Create guided notes or outlines before lectures so they can focus on listening rather than frantic note-taking.
- Mnemonics: Teach classic nursing mnemonics (like ADPIE for the nursing process or PQRST for pain assessment) to anchor knowledge.
- Spaced Repetition: Revisit core concepts often in low-stakes settings to move them from short-term to long-term memory.
- Frequent Breaks: Brief breaks, regularly scheduled, can hinder "cognitive overload" and mental fatigue during long clinical days or exams.
I think videos are very helpful with online learning to engage students
It's important to present material in a way that meets the needs of all types of learners. It's also important to stay in good communication with students to help them with time management and keep them engaged in the course.
A productive study and learning environment outside of the classroom is extremely important, and it is something I plan to discuss with students during the first week of both in-person and online courses. As a traditional student entering college right out of high school, I did not fully understand the impact that environment can have on learning. Looking back, I realize that many of the distractions I experienced during my undergraduate studies were related to not choosing study spaces that supported focus and engagement with the material. Years later when working on my graduate degree I had a better understanding of the importance of a distraction free learning and studying environment.
Comment on lashonda morrisey's post: Time management is a challenge for all students balancing real life responsibilities with the rigor of these educational programs.
It still just as important in an online environment to support motivation and any learning disability challenges.
When instruction does not align with a student’s current level of understanding, it increases the likelihood of frustration, disengagement, and failure.
Including visible and audible weekly communication with students to engage interest and remaining approachable.
It is important for me to assess my own skills. Then determine how I can best support my students.
I have taken online classes in the past, and the one that stood out the most were the ones that include my instructor's voice. So, in the weekly announcements, I always include a video lecture, which I record on Zoom. I walk students through the weekly slides, assignments, and concepts, but I hadn't considered the aspect of disabilities. It gave me the idea to add Closed Captions to my Video Lectures.
From this module, I have learned that helping students succeed in the online environment requires much more than simply delivering course content. I now better understand the importance of assessing both my own strengths and weaknesses as an online instructor, as well as helping students evaluate their readiness for online learning. This course highlighted that effective online instruction involves supporting students with technical skills, but also helping them develop important non-technical skills such as time management, communication, and self-motivation. I also learned how essential it is to guide students in building their online persona and understanding the expectations of online coursework. Moving forward, I intend to apply these lessons by being more intentional about preparing students for online learning, identifying their individual strengths and challenges, and providing clear guidance and support to help them achieve their learning outcomes.
I think it's a great idea to post the live video for the announcements, with the short attention spans that makes sense to get the info to the students as quickly and short as possible without requiring a lot of time on their part, but also makes more personal.
I have learned the different techniques of getting students to be involved and interested in a course
Being accommodating for all students is important, being flexible with your instruction style is important. Being an online student is challenging but it is important to engage the students.
Intentionally shaping how I present myself, communicate and interact with students in the digital space so that the students feel real approachable and professional.
Use welcoming presence.
Adapt persona to students' feedback and needs.
Communicate consistently and clearly.
Model appropriate online behavior
Be visible engaged.
In preparing students to become successful online learners, I believe it is important to begin by building a strong connection. By sharing my background and professional experience in Radiologic Technology, I hope students feel comfortable and confident that they are supported by someone who understands the field and cares about their growth. Establishing an online persona through a video introduction helps humanize the learning environment and allows students to relate to me, even from a distance. I want students to know that this course is a collaborative journey and that I am here to guide them every step of the way.
Equally important is recognizing that students have diverse learning styles and may require additional support or accommodations. I am committed to creating an inclusive online space where every learner can thrive, regardless of their preferred learning method or any disabilities they may have. Throughout the course, I will encourage motivation, provide strategies for effective time management, and offer guidance to help students stay organized and engaged. My goal is to empower students with the skills and confidence needed to succeed not only in this course, but in their future academic and professional endeavors.
Before encouraging students to complete an online self-analysis to determine if they will be good online students, instructors should also complete a self-analysis to see if they are prepared to be effective online instructors.
I find the Pareto Principle to be very useful. This principle states that "80% of your actions or efforts contribute to only 20% of your actual results, while 20% of your actions or efforts yield 80% of your results."
The instructor is responsible to help the students remain motivated.
I have taken on line courses and understand how easy it is to get behind when life events get in the way and time management goes by the wayside.
