I too would love to have these links
I have been thinking about our student traits-and realize that our student population is one that ranges in age from 19 to 67, and background from RN nurses to construction backgrounds.
No, not in our case. The institute caters to a specific popluation of therapists, social workers, counselors, and people in the mental health profession.
We have a diverse population of students: many different cultures, languages and English is not their first language. Their lack of English skills in comprehension at a college level has made it difficult for them to understand the textbooks or utilize the computer programs easily.
The older students have a difficult time with learning how to study an online course: how to take notes, should I print every screen, how do i figure out what is important to remember - or is everything important- what do I spend the most time on- do i memorize everything I see on the screen?
We spend time with each student doing an orientation when they start and if they want help all they need to do is come to the classroom, email or call us and we are with them every step of the way.
Yes, it does. Some students don't have computers or internet.
I believe that the characteristics of the student population influence the reasons for against online delivery. There are definitely students who are more suited to taking online courses than others. They are usually the ones who have better time management skills, or are more disciplined.
In our institution, we give Online Learning Assessments to all applicants. This assessment is meant to identify if the potential student will most likely do well in an online learning environment or not. In addition, students, prior to taking their first online class, must first complete our Online Learning Tutorial. This tutorial is meant to familiarize students with the Learning Management System that we use and help alleviate some of the fear and apprehension students may have about taking online courses. After completing the Online Learning Tutorial, students are usually more prepared, or at the very least, more comfortable about taking their first online class.
Potential online students who really understand what they are about to engage in usually consider themselves as computer or technology literate. They probably spend a lot of time using their computer, feel a connection with the technology world, and they are self-motivated so they may feel they are well qualified and if they can learn at their own pace it will be an ideal classroom setting for them.
Absolutely, a student’s ability, attitude, and motivation all impact their potential for success in an online environment. Preparing students as thoroughly as possible at the beginning of their enrollment can help to provide them the best opportunity to do well and overcome any part of their personality that could become an obstacle in an online experience.
Our students don't have time to take classes physically in any college.
I believe that student population does have to be taken into consideration. In some cases, the student poplutaion may not be as computer savy as in others. For example, a prgram that caters to older working professionals may not be designed in the same way as a program that caters to high school students earning high school credit. In the end, however, the program will be developed using the most recent technology, so it will probably depend on the group to learn the new system and adjust.
The population of students to be addressed is of utmost importance. When delivering on-line learning, one must consider the availability of technology to the student. Also, the motivation and enthusiasm of that student and the academic level as well. Matching the right student with the correct teaching format will make it a more successful process. There may simply be some students who learn better with face-to-face contact, and there may also be a population of motivated students who have the skills to excel in an on-line program. Making the correct match can make or break your program. When implementing your on-line program you must be extremely familiar with the types of students who are accessing your program and if they are in fact ready to move to an on-line setting.
The characteristics of the student population are important in determining whether to offer online delivery; however more important is how adaptable the student is to online delivery. Distance Education is not for everyone.
Students are disillusioned that online classes will take less time. With the new Integrity Rules in place; it is even more obvious that online classes require more time - if a credit hour f2f is 10 contact hours then it is 30 contact hours online. Can you imagine being a successful online student if you found out that your 10 credits that you thought you would be spending 100 hours studying has now turned into 300 hours??
It does indeed take a specific learner to manage their time, be self-motivated and quickly figure out processes/policy with only a keyboard at your fingertips.
Yes, they do. In my school, for instance, some students are not computer literate so it is difficult for them to work with online programs and this influences negatively the learning process. Motivation, in this case, is very important: students need to be trained and encouraged to use online courses.
Mary,
You are so correct about the disconnect between f2f and online. I haven't heard of the 3 to 1 ratio before. Thanks. I'll look into that.
Linda Scharp
Glenda,
I agree. That is why knowing the computer skills of the student population is so important.
Linda Scharp
Yes I think that the student traits have a high influence on the reasons for students to have online programs available to them. We live in such a fast paced environment and the online classes enable many people the opportunity to obtain education due to transportation problems, scheduling conflicts, and other issues that may keep them from attending a campus.
No, the characteristics shouldn't influence the reasons against online delivery, but the instructors must know their audience.
Student characteristics do influence reasons for online delivery. We are required to only allow 50% of our in house student population to take online courses. Because of this requirement we only offer the online program to individuals who live outside a 50 mile radius of the school.
Dana,
Hmm. That's an interesting way to guarantee in-house student population. Is there a way for students to do both? It's difficult to know how many students one might be limiting by this rule.
Linda Scharp
Yes, the characteristics of the student population definitely influence the reasons for or against online delivery. I work for an institution that offers the majority of its programs solely online. In addition to our 30 day cancellation policy, which allows students who have attendend and completed their first course (we run on a monthly schedule) to cancel their enrollment with a full refund (minus the application fee) if they feel that they can not be successful in the online environment, we also evaluate the student before completing the enrollment process. All students must pass a basic computer competency test, attend an orientation session, followed by live question and answer sessions. Students are also enrolled into a sample course. Other areas evaluated are student's reasons for enrolling in the program, access to technology, family support etc. In addition, our academic advisors are in contact with students to assess areas of difficulty. I think it is extremely important that an institution evaluates and understands its student population demographics before implementing online programs.
