The Influence of Student Traits
Absolutely, it really establishes the pace and interaction of the class. If they, as a group need additional assistance in a specific area the staff needs to recognize that but also stay on track for the agenda.
Many schools require students to work through an orientation module in order to establish their comfort level using online forums, chat, and turning in assignments. The instant feedback students can get through online quizzes--just like you get in the Module quiz, helps them know if they are mastering the material or if they need to review.
The students, as you have indicated, are not a homogeneous bunch, and may require different levels of assistance. If intervention can occur early on in a course, it really helps establish the student/facilitator relationship and aids retention. Any questions? Good luck!
The instructor should facilitate a student through highly individualized responses to personal emails, with instructions concerning issues the student may have. In a recent course I took online (not here), the instructor's responses to my emails seemed "boiler plate" so I fell into the background without participating any further in doing the assignments, just glad to lurk and read the other student's articles.
Yes. The millienial generation is changing a school cultural. MG's want and require technology to keep them engaged.
Orientation modules are very helpful in communicating information to the students before they begin the course. The more they understand the format and processes involved in the online course, the more prepared they are for success. Studies show that retention is higher when an orientation is included. However, I do believe that we all learn differently because of our traits and that most importantly the instructor must address all styles of learning in the design and delivery of the online course. Communicate, communicate, and communicate again will help all students succeed.
Definitely. Online education requires a great deal of effort and self-sufficiency from the studnets attending the courses. Not only do they have a responsibility to learn on their own, they must also be able to manage their time efficiently in order to complete assignments within the timeframes allowed by the school. The desire to learn, or to acheive the goals enabled by the learning, must overcome the tendency towards procrastination that can be found in many adult learners.
I agree that communication between the instructors and students is key. This will have to include attention to "attendance" as well as the submission of required work. One determination of engagement for online learning must be a simple measurement of "Did they show up?" Like they say about the lottery "you can't win if you don't play."
I thought that it was very interesting that students are looking to faculty for a more advisory role. I think that when I started out teaching online seven years ago I was much more aloof than I am now. I have personalized my communication to each student, so that they know it is not a cookie cutter response. I use their names and will use some of the terminology that they use in their communication. I believe that it shows that you are taking more of an interest in your students, which leads to higher rates of satisfaction and better learning outcomes.
I thought that it was very interesting that students are looking to faculty for a more advisory role. I think that when I started out teaching online seven years ago I was much more aloof than I am now. I have personalized my communication to each student, so that they know it is not a cookie cutter response. I use their names and will use some of the terminology that they use in their communication. I believe that it shows that you are taking more of an interest in your students, which leads to higher rates of satisfaction and better learning outcomes.
I thought that it was very interesting that students are looking to faculty for a more advisory role. I think that when I started out teaching online seven years ago I was much more aloof than I am now. I have personalized my communication to each student, so that they know it is not a cookie cutter response. I use their names and will use some of the terminology that they use in their communication. I believe that it shows that you are taking more of an interest in your students, which leads to higher rates of satisfaction and better learning outcomes.
I agree 100% with your post. For me the online student is as important as the student I have in the class room. Both deserve the best answer I can give them. They both have questions and those questions should be addressed individually for each student. Only by communicating with the student via e-mail or chat can we assure that they have a good learning experience. Every student loses interest, if the answers are general. So engaging the student becomes a very important part of online teaching.
Of course instructors need to address student’s issues and the questions they might have. I used to take online program and my instructor was always there for me and I always felt that I really mattered and I was not just a number.
Communication is key but personality is also a key. You can have someone that communicates to the student however there is no connection. This results in the student eventually wanting to drop out because of lack of connection.
I agree. In my experience teaching online, students who do not feel connected to the college are more likely to "drop off". Providing personalized feedback and emails will help the student feel connected, ultimately increasing retention.
The characteristics contributes greatly to the influence of an institution having or not having online delivery. Chances are if the student population are working adults over 25 and are looking to increase their salary... online delivery would greatly contribute to the an increase in enrollment for online courses.
It is true that Millennials have higher technological literacy and expectations than some groups. I have noticed, however, that socioeconomic status may be a more important indicator than generation. Students who come from backgrounds of generational poverty may not fit the MG stereotype. I believe that it is wise to consider multiple factors when assessing individual students. Generalizations about broad categories can help us see trends, but may not apply in specific cases.
Oh yes, yes. In our institution we have to take in consideration the fact we are serving an immigrant population. There are many issues we must take in consideration such as access to technology, language, etc.
I rather wish it didn't. In my case I teach online introductory healthcare classes. Many of the students attracted to the online format have negative characteristics such as poor self discipline, mediocre work ethic and no passion. They are taking online because they figure they won't have to work as much, be present as much and they can just jaunt through. Some have non-existant foundational education and don't even try to improve. They spell poorly, their grammar is frequently DOA and they don't proof, or use the included online spell check.
Others never come from other countries where they either never went to school or only made it as far as third or fourth grade. They should not be permitted to take online classes, that are so dependent on reading and writing skills,until they have completed courses to build them a basic foundation, ESOL, reading and writing,but the schools are so anxious to get every warm body students who can't read or write a complete sentence in my classes seem to somehow manage to pass a college entrance exam?
To some extent, yes, the characteristics of the student pop influence the decision to have online delivery. But, if you have a good orientation to the technology and the course, computers available to students, a well trained faculty, and good tech support, I think almost everyone can learn online. It's funny to me that hardly anyone asks the question, can all students learn in a classroom, but they ask it all the time about online learning. Yes, students today use technology for entertainment for the most part, but that doesn't mean they can't, or won't, use it for education as well.
There is usually greater diversity in the student population given an online format, and that could promote classroom learning. Facilitators need to be cognizant of early difficulties that may arise due to this diversity, and be ready to steer things in the right direction. This could sometimes pose a challenge as many of the visual cues of tension or conflict are missing in the online classroom, and facilitators may need to read between the lines on discussion boards or posts, and intervene early, as needed.
