Technology Support
I haven't taught an online course yet. Hope to soon though. My question concerns tech support from your school. Is there a tech support person designated to assist instructors/students who are particpating in an online course?
Hi John. At my university, there is a technical support helpdesk available to support faculty and learners. We also have a link in our courses to the technical support email, so learners have it readily available when they need it. Tina
Yes, I too have tech support for my online class. Whenever I student experiences any technical problems, I follow up student to ensure that the issue has been resolved. I find that our technical support is pretty efficient.
There is tech support but sometimes students may approach professors for tech support issues that tech support should handle.
Q
Quiana,
Many instructors at small colleges must wear a couple of different hats and sometimes tech support is one of them. Additionally, even students in large institutions will sometimes feel more comfortable taking an inquiry to their teacher rather than approach someone they don't know. Good point. Thanks for your input.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
As an online instructor, I often refer students to tech support when, for one reason or another, they can't upload essays, can't access the elibrary, etc. The list goes on and on. It's nice to have a reliable tech support team to whom you may refer students!
Leslie,
You have identified one of the valuable tools that good institutions provide to support the learning experience. These types of issues not only waste time and interrupt learning but they often discourage students to the point of quitting if good tech support is not available to resolve them. In recent years, I have not found complaints about no tech support being available at postsecondary institutions. However, I remember in 1999 when I began my first online class how much time was wasted and energy spent on non-academic logistical and technical issues. Very good point.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Quiana,
What I do for students that ask me for tech support is simply copy and paste a document that I created that has some trouble shooting tips and then directs students to tech support if they were unable to solve their own issue. This works quite well. Also, I can be proactive about the process too and list the information in my announcements before the students ever even ask.
Chad,
Excellent solution. Thank you for your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
