I believe that providing timely, consistent feedback and setting high expectations for students is essential. Students should receive feedback on assignments in a timely enough manner so they can use that feedback on their next assignments. Also, feedback should be consistent so students who tend to repeat errors will understand the importance of correcting their mistakes. Finally, we should not “dumb down†expectations for students as they need to be prepared for a competitive workforce.
Relationships are very important. Making sure the student feels connected and wants to be connected is a big part of the student success today.
Charlene,
Great post! You are right about the establishing those important relationships with you and with others. An online class is different not necessarily more difficult.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Bennett,
Great post! I agree with you totally! Students will rise or fall to the expectations you set it doesn't matter if you teach online or f2f. You have to provide that role of coach, teacher, facilitator, whatever works.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Breezy,
Yes, you are right. As an instructor, you have to share a little of yourself to develop a relation with your students. Sharing life experiences help them with their professional development and again allows them to build a relationship with you. Teaching is about relationships isn't it?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
mary,
You make a great point. Because of experiences, learning styles, educational makeup, each student is different. It is important for an instructor to find the "key" that unlocks each students. You hope to reach all but that doesn't always happen.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Allen,
I LOVE YOUR POST! I agree with you. In the online environment, the challenge is to facilitate students to engage with each other. That does fold into the other comment you made, respect of diverse talent and way of learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dave,
How does that fit with Chickering and Gamson's principles of learning?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Shenita,
True, they do round out the learning experience no matter f2f or online.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yvette,
What a great post. You make so many important points. Students are not conditioned to think of learning as an active process. This can be exacerbated by the online environment. We will have to change their perception one student at a time!!!!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Nichoe,
I agree with you wholeheartedly! Students will go up or down based on the INSTRUCTOR'S expectations for the course. Feedback leads them down the path you have set. Great post.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Monique,
Yes, not only to you but to the other students in the online course. This is so important.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I truly believe that all seven principle of learning are important. I think it is very important to be an active learner and take part in the class as much as possible. To clearly understand what is expected of you is also very important and teaching the student to be responsible for their work is one of the most important of all.
Aisling,
I agree with you. Learning is not the complete responsibility of the instructor, students need to take the responsibility.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
In addition to the comments of my colleagues which I agree with, I encourage students to complete an assignment, take time away from it, return and review if their work meets the requirements of the assignment (does the paper address every bullet, does it show the application of the concepts, and does it provide a reasonable example), question if the work makes sense, does encompass adequate research beyond the basic requirement (is the research current and relevant, have they crossed referenced key parts of the material, etc.), is the work a reasonable presentation that could be understood by someone other than the instructor.
I also emphasize that students not work ahead of the assignment for the week. There have been times when it is obvious that a student is preparing work without adequate in class preparation via text, research, or lecture.
I really appreciate the table for the seven principles and intend on publishing this at the start of each of my courses. Since I believe learning to be a collaborative endeavor students should know my commitment to the principles along with their side of the learning 'contract'.
One promise at the start of every course is that students receiving an A grade may request a personal letter of reference from me. This has proven to be a strong incentive for students to strive to do better work. Out of every course with 25+ students, about 10% request these letters. I encourage that they keep them in their personal file, submit a copy to their advisor, and to share the letter with their support team such as family. I've had students not only thank me for the letters but say they had tears of pride reading them!
Robert,
You make a great point. If you have nontraditional students in your courses, you really need to remind them of the writing process.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Robert,
Interesting. . . That is a good idea. I love the idea of sharing the letter with family. For many, that is the reason they are back in school.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi
I think I would put active learning at the top of my list. Having students engaged in what they are studying and applying it their real-world experience provides a solid foundation. Clearly cooperative learning that is timely is essential. Using developmental strategies to create a supportive environment that recognizes the diversity of student also is also critical in maintaining a well executed course room.
Jocelyn M. Dervis
Jocelyn,
Great post! It is so important to have that foundation along with skill building. It enriches cooperative learning immensely. It also teaches students to value the skills of others and develop strategies that will complement each others skills.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
