Reiteration of the need to develop working alliances with students and the 2 ways in which you can effectively achieve this goal.
In reflection, I feel we could do a better job at my institution of utilizing positive praise to keep people motivated. I think the staff and faculty gets caught up in supporting the students of need and those who are just doing the things can unintentionally get ignored. Those who need the most help don't always get the praise either, because people are so focused on just getting them the help.
We have a PDF postcard for staff that we use to show praise and gratitude when a co-worker does something noteworthy. I am going to make a few versions to deliver to online students that say things like "Great Job!" "Keep Going!" Etc. Expressing gratitude and taking a moment to focus on those who are doing well can also energize and replenish us as staff/educators. As we know, about 20% of the students take up 80% of our energy and any place we can find to pause and be positive is great. This will also help foster connection and community in the online environment.
Creating working relationships with students empowers them to be more comfortable on campus and gives them more confidence to reach out when they need help. Building working alliances creates an enviroment everyone feels comfortable in.
I have been a bit annoyed by students who want to complete an entire online course right away, without going through the allotted time slot for the course. They want to rush through the course on their own time. I think this is damaging for learning and there should be limitations on the students' ability to do this.
CTE classes are built for students to see pathways they could see themselves doing after high school. Vocational Ed for adults creates educational experiences for students that build your kinesthetic learning. With that being said, retention of these students is better for the most part. When teachers get enthusiastic about what you are learning and connecting it with the real world it helps students focus on their future. Campus climate and even culture to a certain degree gives a sense of belonging. How everyone interacts is key. When you have a good support system in place that trickles down to the students.
When students feel comfortable and like they are building relationships not only with other classmates but with their instructors as well it helps them stay engaged and stay consistent in their programs. It makes them feel supported and know they have a good support system to guide them when they are having a hard time. Which in turn helps with retention.
It is important for all parties to come together in a spirit of willing co-operation. All stake-holders are responsible for fostering an environment conducive to learning.
Issues related to diversity in knowledge, lack of motivation, low attendance rates, and poor study habits reduce the retention rate. The culture of helpfulness could encourage scholars to continue in class. Organizational skills and repetitive activities may contribute to good habits and excellence. Remind them of Aristotle’s philosophy “We are what repeatedly do” and “Excellence is not an act, but a habit”.
working alliance and campus climate go hand in hand with student retention.
Frequent communication and positive encouragement are a fantastic approach to retaining students.
I learned that the school has a major role to provide a good learning environments through building strong relationships between students and their institution and between students and their faculties.
I have learned 3 conditions that help build strong working alliances: genuineness, accurate empathy, and unconditional positive regard. It was interesting to me that I have used these in my practice for a long time and will continue to do so with a little more intent going forward.
Points of contact are important.
The connection between the instructor and the student is vital to student retention and creating a excellent learning environment.
In years past a large portion of students came from a similar background which may have created similar learning styles and expectations. However, today students come from ALL backgrounds. Their parents may not have attended college or may be new to our country. Students may have been raised in any sort of religious setting or had parents that were able to assist them every step of the way. It is important to make these realizations and realize we were also absolutely leaving some students behind because of undiagnosed learning disabilities or because of a 'that's the way it is' mentality. Finally, we are growing and developing plans of action that revolve around student retention and build upon the differences of all students to reach the most students.
At the beginning of this session I engaged with our fellow student's by asking "How many here have prior work experience in the medical field?" Being that the class is extremely diverse, I was curious to know what drew them to Medical Assisting. Out of maybe a group of 30 only 1 student had previous medical training. It was brought to my attention that some were enrolled because they heard "the pay is good" and there were other's who felt really passionate about their journey to becoming a MA. There are some student's who I know will be shy to present feedback during the curriculum but with proper engagement I feel they'll become more eager than they've ever believed. I'll encourage all student's not to give up...defeat intimidations and strive for success no matter how complicated things may become.
I have learned that building a trusting and a mutual agreement about goals early on, helps to encourage a student.
I would agree that faculty has a role to play in the students decision to leave or stay. The faculty sets the tone.
Student retention and attrition is not based on one factor. However, creating a positive and supportive environment will definitely boost the numbers.
Today's generation of students are different and it can be viewed as good and bad. The key is to be constantly transparent and honest with them!
