Does anyone have any recommendations for helping fully Online students feel "connected" & part of a community?
Debbie, I have no words of wisdom, but simply want to acknowledge your frustration. I am a retention specialist and i always see a high drop out rate with online students. I often suggest they just take one online or two to start out and see if they like them. However, every quarter we have new student sign up for online only and I see them drop. I believe it is from this disconnection between the student and the school. I am stuck because if they were in school I could address a situation with an instructor immediately if there is a concern. However, the online instructors I have no personal contact with. I think improving communication with online instructors is crucial. In our school we have seven day absent reports. Any student who has been out for 7 days or longer is on that list. Especially with the online students I try and make phone contact and email them as soon as possible as they are much more disconnected
After leaving school administration I have been part of a group that has developed a system to build better connections with students, whether on-line or on campus. [http://info.campustoolkit.com] This system includes several assessments [temperament, modified Myers-Briggs, learning modalities, learning skills and stress] that help school personnel understand the student's preferred communication style and develop a profile of the student. It also provides communication tools and other on-line resources that help the student stay connected.
Online newsletters targeted to online students.
Celesta, what do you include in the newsletter to get the student more in touch with the school?
Our students have a mixture of on site as well as on-line courses to complete. Many of the students have expressed their dissatisfaction with on-line courses and the feeling that they are "teaching themselves". We have an on-line newsletter, we have instructors on-site and in the resource library to assist and everyone here makes themselves available.to the student and yet this attitude remains. I have tried to bring the positive side of on-line learning to the forefront, but we still receive the complaints.
How is your course structured, Katheryn? Does the course include ‘lectures', team assignments or activities that require students to connect with the instructor and classmates? If they simply are reading posted material and submitting assignments it will very difficult to avoid the reaction you are getting.
The students are required to participate in group forums as well as activities with other students. It still seems that they some how feel a disconnect with the school.
Your information is very helpful. I have checked the link and it is a very interesting and powerful tool.
Thank you
And thank you, Luis. Do you have online students? If so, how do you connect with them?
