Sabrina,
All are great methods to connect with the students. It is all about communication and persistence.
Herbert Brown III
When a student stops participating in the classroom the first thing that I do is send an email in order to provide an outreach to see if I can help with an assignment or if something is going on that is preventing the student from participating. Some students will respond while others will not. If the student does not respond then depending upon the school's policy I will attempt to call the student keeping in mind the FERPA laws. If I still cannot connect with the student then the school has a process of escalating the situation to student advisors that work specifically on student retention.
I consider my attempts to contact the student as the first step towards trying to reconnect the student and then turn it over to the school who has more information on how to contact the missing student. As an instructor I never want to give up on a student, but also realize that there are things that happen that can be overwhelming and prevent the student from continuing the class, although I have had students who have lost family members, their home and other tragedies but still managed to finish the class.
Disagree. When and if a student declines extra assistance or help, as an instructor it is our job to ensure that students are getting the most out of their education. Instead of waiting for students to call, instructors can call weekly to touch base.
I disagree....there are technical ways to structure the course so that the student may not proceed to the next activity until he or she completes what is required of them.
Diane,
That is true, most software applications can help control this process and ensure it is linear. Should education be linear and lock-step? Do you believe there are other designs or have you taught using other designs - were they successful?
Herbert Brown III
I disagree to this statement. As a distance learning facilitator, I am required to face student issues every day and do my best to offer the best advice and follow through with the student until their issue has been resolved. If the student is unresponsive, I reach out to their student advisor in an effort to get clarity and resolution on the situation. 8/10 times this collaborative effort proves to be positive in getting the student to respond and resolve their issue.
If an online student does not respond to my offer to help, I think it is important as an instructor to continue to encourage the student. When I respond to student's discussion board questions, I always end the post with a question. No matter if the student never answers my question, I always ask it. I hope this is a way to encourage the student.
Mary,
It certainly sounds like a good idea to me. I agree that it is important to continue to encourage the students to participate and engage them in the learning. Open-ended questions, direct e-mails to the students, personal phone calls or requests to skype or otherwise personally connect with the students help them understand that you care about them and their success.
Herbert Brown III
I do not fully agree with this statement unless communications is no longer available with that student, but I am assuming that it is not the case here. If I can’t reach the student via any of the tools available to me, I can get the students’ advisor involved, and have the advisor mediate the communication. I am sure that students’ advisors can be of good help of getting such communications started.
I do not fully agree with this statement unless communications is no longer available with that student, but I am assuming that it is not the case here. Part of my responsibility as an online instructor is to “suitably†challenge, engage, and communicate with students to encourage their participation and learning as well as have a mutual value and respect. That’s why I would not give up, and if I can’t reach the student via any of the tools available to me, I can get the students’ advisor involved, and have the advisor mediate the communication. I am sure that students’ advisors can be of good help of getting such communications started.
Zak Saleh
There are some ways. At out institution we have initiated an At-Risk program, where the instructors are encouraged to text and call non-participating students. If you can get them on the phone, this can be a more effective way to communicate with them, and find out what are the reasons behind their non participation. It is not 100%, but I'd estimate that it helps bring about 30% of the non-participating students into the discussions and submitting assignments.
I disagree to the extent that a personal email of concern has been sent and copied to the student's advisor. Frequently I invite the student to call me or to be open to my calling them. Their education is an important commitment for them and generally their families.
I've had numerous situations where a phone conversation can help with the situation. Life has many challenges that can derail a student from their education. But how often has this possibly prevented them from pursuing their degree in the first place.
I have also had conferences with the student's advisor to develop a collaborative plan and to gather a more complete understanding of the student's situation.
I disagree that there is "very little more you can do". While an online instructor does not have the ability to be in close physical proximity to his/her students, this does not mean that a student who does not respond to offers of help is beyond our assistance. In addition to placing phone calls and sending emails to the student in an attempt to speak with them and assess their situation to try and assist them, online instructors can also use these opportunities to reach out to faculty managers and/or student services to make them aware of the issue in an effort to gain help for the student. This is not much different than the instructor in a traditional classroom environment who has a student on his/her roster who has never shown for class. In both situations, the instructors' efforts may not result in a student response, but the overall ability to attempt to assist a student remains largely the same for both traditional and online instructors.
I would completely disagree with this idea. I would argue that reaching out to a student via email is only step one. There are a variety of ways that the online instructor can reach out to the student, by email, phone call and or reaching out to their counselor or advisor. If a student wishes to drop the course, I am usually not satisfied with them simply disappearing unless I hear it directly from them. This is one of the challenges with the online world. The student can disappear into the Internet without so much as a word. It is incumbent upon me to find as many ways as possible to find this student to see how I can best help them. If they are continuing to submit assignments, I can offer as much feedback as possible so that they know I am here to help. If they just disappear, however, I think reaching out to them via email is just a first step.
Scott
I think this type of situation will occur no matter if it is online or face-to-face. The first thing I would do is the check the school policy in regard of academic concern or advising if the student is at risk/failing.
I think that there are different approach to solve this problem. We could only make so much assumption about why the student has not respond to the offers to help. However, the instructor should try all different methods or attempts as well as letting the student adviser or Dean in regard of the student progress and your concern.
I disagree with the statement.
Preparing students for online learning requires more planning on the part of the instructor than is normally seen in the traditional classroom. To prevent drop-outs and drop-ins, most students might benefit from a little assistance in deciding if online learning is right for them. In my work, I have heard many educators claim that they would not be good online students because they are not very technologically proficient. Others claim the converse by touting their ability to surf the Net with the no road blocks.
The myth that technological savvy is the contributing factor to student success is slowly being corrected. Two of my students were technology facilitators in a school system known for its wonderful use of technology. Their role was to teach teachers how to use technology. We all discovered that their strengths did not help them complete assignments in a timely manner, budget their time, nor help them to collaborate effectively with their classmates. Being able to navigate the courseware is not enough. Paloff and Pratt offer excellent suggestions for enhancing student participation in the course:
1.Be clear about how much time the course will require of students and faculty in order to eliminate potential misunderstandings about course demands.
2.Teach students about online learning
3.As the instructor, be a model of good participation by logging on frequently and contributing to the discussion.
4.Be willing to step in and set limits if participation wanes or if the conversation is headed in the wrong direction.
5.Remember that there are people attached to the words on the screen. Be willing to contact students who are not participating and invite them in.
6.Create a warm and inviting atmosphere that promotes the development of a sense of community among the participants.
I agree with the statement. I used email for one-on-one discussions and major announcements. Students were notified in advance of the course that they could contact me at any time via email. Assignments were posted on the welcome page of the site two to three days prior to their due date. When students completed assignments, they received feedback via email or within their personal profiles if they submitted work within the course site. Within the discussion forum section, I responded to every posting by students. From my perspective, I believed that each student received equal communication from me. I felt that my presence in the course was equally distributed among the students.
Ironically, the strategies I used to ensure communication with students did not offer them the feedback they needed to feel good about their performance nor did they provide students with the adequate notice they needed to plan for participation. I was so sure of my efforts to provide consistent communication and feedback that I did not question myself when a student emailed to ask “How am I doing in the course?†I replied with a simple “Great!â€
By contrast, the course established clear guidelines for communication and feedback prior to the course, during the course, and even following the course. The pre-course email was followed by an email two days prior, and then one on the morning of the course. Once “inside†the course, ongoing communication about assignments and technical issues was made available using topical discussion threads.
Having separate spaces for communication about particular types of issues made the student feel comfortable about the support the instructor gave. It also made it possible for the instructor to maintain a certain presence in the course while satisfying the needs of the students. From an instructor’s perspective, it is an effective technique for organizing discussion feedback in an area which remains available for all students throughout the duration of the course.
Herbert,
If an online student does not respond to my offer to help,there is a lot that I can do.
I have the option to contact his advisor. If there is no such a function, I will go back to him/her and try to understand the reason of the student's behavior. It can be personal problems such work, family, etc... I will offer the student a way to catch up.
The bottom line is that since these courses are usually not free and students need to find ways to take them.
If an online student does not respond to an instructor’s offers to help, the instructor may use other means of reaching out to the student. The instructor could send personal emails expressing his/her concerns; contact the student’s advisor; post reminders of the available resources; or send a personal invitation to the student to attend a one-to-one chat session during which the instructor will be available as a resource, but not to discuss the student’s personal issues. However, instructors should not get caught in actions of inequity, but ensure the same opportunities are available to all students.
-Ruth-
How do assist the on line learner who needs extra time?
Brenda,
You need to have a clear expectation for providing extra time for students. That policy should be consistent for all students and clearly articulated to them. Because of the nature of online students and their needs, I would recommend being flexible with students that need a little extra time to complete assignments.
Herbert Brown III
