Handling the frustrated online student
I've found (and I'm sure you can relate to this) that with the online instruction mode the mix of student demographics creates a problem when presenting materials and discussion. My "solution" is to break the online "chat" demonstration/lecture into "chunks" (segments), where I will cater to each age group so that it keeps them from becoming easily bored. I also host a weekly "workshop" where students can attend if they have any specific issues that need handling, and in each case I can then gear the discussion to the appropriate level. This seems to work well, although certainly not perfect, it has improved attendance to the chats. Has anyone had similar issues and experiences?
Richard,
Chunking teaching/learning is excellent. We have to chunk our lectures to 10-15 minutes and we have to chunk discussions many times to make them more effective. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Richard, your 'chunking' is a good paractice. i have attempted to host weekly 'workshops' but have not have had many takers.
Live chats are not graded and the chat slots are not determined by the university but by the individual instructor; hence, attendance varies and many learners tend to take advantage of the archived chat rather than attend the chat itself.Nevertheless, your 'chuncking' paractice makes sense for all eventualities. Thank you for sharing!
Samia
Samia & Richard,
Right on! Chunking is the way to go. Students need information broken down into manageable chunks. Thanks for your input.
It is always a case by case basis. There are patterns that can be identified, but if a student is being difficult it is important to be careful with communication tone.
Heather,
Right. Each class and each student is different. Taking things case by case is very true. Tone is am important aspect of communication. Thanks!
A solution I use that helps is to use a blend of verbal, auditory, and kinesthetic styles to convey information in my courses. This helps keep any one type of learning from becoming too bored.
Christopher,
Right. We want to provide information in a variety of ways to ensure we are "hitting" all learning styles.
Thanks!
I agree with you, I have done a lot of live chats~alone..I think it just depends on the student you have some who are totally into the class and committed then you have others who just want to "get by".
Bernadette,
Yes, I think it depends on the instructor, student and the course content as to what works and doesn't work from class to class. Nice job.
This is a great strategy. The Millenials are quick to become bored.
Julie,
You are right. Although other generations may become bored as well if they are not adequately engaged in the learning process. Thanks for sharing.
I think your approach in chunking the presentation of materials is crucial to keeping all age groups involved. I have also tried a different approach to the small group activities and have grouped students from different age groups and experience levels and have found that the students learn a lot from each other. This often requires a bit more moderation from the instructor, to make sure those non-participants are pulling their weight, but it's been fun and successful so far!
Heather,
Chunking material/content is essential for any classroom and any audience. We can't pay attention for hours and hours on end. We are all distracted and need a break about every 15 minutes or so. Chunking allows us to do that. Thanks for your comments.
The weekly workshop is an outstanding idea. It gives added learning opportunities and "puts the ball in their court" so to speak. I think it would be worthwhile to have them more integrated, however, in order for different generations or types of learners to have more experience interacting with one another.
Nicholas ,
It is good to "put the ball in their court" and help them become more responsible for their learning. Thanks for your input.
