Time Mgmt in Online Learning
I've found that when I try to impart the importance of time management, I let them know that they need to schedule time for their online class as an appointment with themselves. They have to view that commitment the same way they view a f2f class or any another type of appointment they may schedule.
I still find that the students wait until the last minute to take a test that is online and then they beg when I turn it off to open it again. .
I hold my ground and don't turn it on. But I have a lot of procrastinators. So time management would suit them.
@lcoble : Hi Lisa, I agree with you. I continually communicate to my class the importance of time managment and how it can cause stress, irritation, and frustrations and yet, some of them still submit work late. Our courses are 5 weeks and each week I do an outreach to the students who are missing Assignments and/or tests. I might not hear back from a student until Week 4 wanting to submit prior weeks work. My thought is, you haven't submitted any work from Week 1 -3 (about 4 items each week) and now he/she wants to submit work. Why put yourself through that!!!!
I post time management Tip at the beginning of each class to help students be successful in the course. Some student respond and thank me for the tips because they tend to be procrastinators. What I find amazing is when a student reaches out to me for tips in helping them to better manage thier time and when I ask if they read my "Helpful Tips" in the student lounge, they respond "no". In addition to time management tips, I post information on test strategies, study tips, and effective communication (text messaging language).
Some students will respond how they appreciate the suggestions because they have not been in school for a long time or some have not taken any higher educational classes at all and need some additional guidance.
I email my students at the beginning of each week regarding expectations for that week. I try to provide as many tools as possible to eliminate students from procrastinating, however, sometimes they help, and sometimes they do not. There will always be someone who will wait to the last minute and end up not meeting the deadline. I tell those students that you have to treat this learning experience like you would your job. Scarfies have to be made and you have to see a means to an end. Therefore, learning to manage your time is very important to accomplishing your goal.
I have found it helpful to use the group email function for my course to send students a checklist of the assignments, quizzes, and discussions I expect them to complete each week (including a minimum number of discussion posts for each discussion). Students who take this seriously stay on track, and generally complete the course with a grade that reflects their knowledge and ability.
At the core of success whether online instruction and or learning as student, we must all be aware of time management. If necessary, online instructors should create a schedule by which they adhere to facilitate the course. I have found that it is easier to accomplish my goals of assistance and challange to create a best experience by attempting to remain flexible with my interaction within the course. I often encourage students to create a schedule when it is apparent they are lacking time management and will prioritize tasks for them when necessary. Guidance is well valued here; reminds them of the student teacher relationship and assures your expertise. As a last step, phone contact may be necessary when success has not been achieved.
Lisa,
I agree. I have been doing this a long time, and i seem to get a lot of responses on the last day of class from students about assignments. Most of those are from students I never hear from during the course.
@KathyPFarris
Kathy,
How does it work? If you had to put a percentage on it, what would it be?
@chrwat I strongly believe that the student has to be convinced that time management is the single most important aspect of on line course taking. When somebody is in a f2f course they have the advantage of kinesic observation and understanding what is truly expected. The f2f courses create an issue where support can come from anywhere and there is a structure that requires the students presence in a brick and mortar classroom once or twice a week. Teaching on line students spread throughout the world they may not even be awake for the chatrooms where they can pose live questions. Getting them to buy in early on doing assignments early enough to be adjusted if there is a problem is the challenge. Some will get it right away and some will not despite your best efforts.
Hi David,
Time management is the biggest barrier for the online student.
In every class there are students struggling to manage their time wisely. It is surprising to me when I see the same student in future classes still stating they are struggling with time management. I almost really believe that some students take the online study for granted and try to create their own expectations by using the "same line", which is time management or personal issues. In return, the instructor is there to coach, facilitate, and guide the student to success all while trying to lower his or her policy expectations to get students to the finish line. What has worked for me throughout the years of teaching is to set firm expectations, help students create a study plan, tell them my story (I am sure some of us have been there), and always motivate them to do well and work toward their goal. Thank you for a great discussion.
Time management is vital to achieve all desired goals. A specific schedule for due dates of all assignments and tests would be necessary for the successful students.
@Sugar Can you list some of you time management tips?
@KathyPFarrisI like this idea of a weekly checklist of assignments due. I will suggest that our teachers implement it in their courses.
@chrwat, I agree about time management and how it can be difficult, particularly for online learners. Kathy Parris, I also like the idea of a weekly checklist and I provide the students with a weekly calendar and recommend that they print it out and keep it by their computer, so they are always aware of upcomming deadlines. However, I do still have numerous procrastinators.
I also tell my students to try and treat their classes like a full or part time job (depending on their course load), dedicating a set number of hours (at a minimum) to each class during the term.
