Constant contact is important with online learning. Making students feel you care.
I have always liked the idea of the blended/hybrid programs. They were beneficial for me when I couldn't attend the traditional school because of work, family, and so on. So I am used to this environment. I can use that expertise to show students a path towards staying on track (which is the most common cause of student issues that i have seen).
Students need to recognize that they cannot "hide" in the online classroom.
I didn't realize online learning started so early. Technology has completely changed education. Online education is very competitive. I didn't realize employers have a positive attitude towards online degrees.
It was interesting to learn that students online performed significantlly better than face to face studens. It's also good to know that there are seven competencies that online students should have to be successful.
Online learning can be just as effective as face to face in most areas.
I learned how important is to understand the obstacles online learning has and how to help our students overcome them to be successful.
I found this interesting:
Academic factors that contribute to poor academic performance can generally be categorized into 7 core competencies. Though not exhaustive, this list can help faculty and staff tailor academic interventions to specific areas of concern. These competencies are self-management, self-advocacy, technological fluency, information literacy, research skills, writing skills, and virtual collaboration.
Regular communication with the student from the time they submit an inquiry about their program of study to the time they graduate is important. Students need to feel safe to ask questions and engage with university personnel to request assistance when needed. Online learning is not an easy task and students must have the ability to work on their own and possess some internal motivation. It is also important for faculty to reach out to students that go MIA and notify their academic advisor. Furthermore, if a student expresses a need the faculty should take the appropriate steps to ensure they get connected with the right university resource to meet that need.
I appreciated the 7 Competencies required for online learners and plan to promote these in my online courses. I believe that a high quality instructor in F2F environment can convert to a high quality online experience for students. It will require work but building relationships always does. I also appreciate the fact stated that some programs and material need to be hybrid to incorporate the hands on learning aspect. It is up to institutions and Advisory Boards to ensure we are offering the best mode of education for the program.
learned that there is more than just in-person classes and online. learned about web-facilitated courses as well as hybrid courses. I like the idea of a hybrid course having a mix of both.
I found this interesting:
Education professionals should be familiar with the no significant difference phenomenon (NSD). This phrase refers to a body of research that indicates “the mode of delivery of education has no effect on student outcomes” (Western Cooperative Educational Telecommunications [WCET], 2010, FAQ section).
Excelsior College surveyed more than 1,500 CEOs and business owners and found that “83% of them strongly believe a degree from an online college is as credible and valid as one from a traditional campus-based school”
Online learning was definitely surging before 2020.
Great lesson on the two learning modalties of online vs. face to face environments.
I have already seen difficulties in online learning, as we were all thrown into the deep end of the pool (so to speak). The technology gap is very apparent, and has severely limited the ability of many of my students to participate in courses. For tech/trade classes that rely on specific computer software in addition to the baseline of having one and a reliable connection, which is enough of a challenge, and many use the school's labs for access to industry software systems that can be prohibitively expensive.
Those without computers at home (or who recently borrowed them for the current emergency) have less technological fluency than the "haves".
Understanding causes of student success and failure regarding online courses is very important as an instructor teaching or facilitating these courses. There are many varible that contribute to our students's success or failure. One of the causes that stood out to me as I was navigating through this course washow emotions can be a contributing factor to lack of success.
Clear and concise communication with our students can be a deciding factor of the student successfully completeing the course. Motivating our students and letting them know how well they are doing and pointing our and explaining areas they will need to imporve in can help the student to know where they stand and what they can do to complete the course successfully.
Vernise Walker
Most people who chose to take online courses are non-traditional adult learners. They like the easy, they are taking it part time, and they are probably doing it to further their career. Some adults need to re-learn how to be a student so its importatnt they focus on the 7 areas of problems to help they succeed.
From this topic, i have learnt that i should continue to expect the continued growth of the online learning field. I will continue to improve my skills in online learning since the future of the modern soceity will be based on this form of knowledge acquirement.
I am glad that the online platform for learning is available. I know many students, "adult learners" that were able to complete their degree because of online courses. Online learning is a great option for non-traditional students.
Technology-enhanced instruction is here to stay and growing at an accelerating pace. Motivated and well prepared students will succeed in online or face to face learning environments. Traditionally online students have been older working learners looking for opportunity to advance on their own schedule, however the pandemic has forced the online learning mode to include a larger group of younger "digital nstives." Success with the online mode will require digital fluency and virtual collaboration skills along with traditional skills such as personal-management (time, finances etc.), self-advocacy, information gathering, research and writing.
