1. Red Flags: Ideas for Supporting
New Online Students
Laurie Brand – SIAST Learning Technologies
2. Purpose and Objectives
What problems do new online students face?
How do other educational institutions assist
new online students?
What resources does SIAST offer to support
new online students?
Discussion and Sharing
examples, current research, problems/solutions
for assisting new online students
3. What problems do new online students
face? What are some of the “Red Flags”?
Time
High course workload
Prejudged to be tech savvy
Help/support required but may not ask or
know who to ask
Frustration
4. How do other educational institutions assist
new online students?
7. How might SIAST improve student online
support?
Instructor??
Contact??
email, phone, f to f
Comp 1609
Intro to BB HelpDesk
basic tutorials Technical Support
(also in BB)
Libraries
Learning Services Other
Resources
class sessions
8. Research - SIAST
VC Student and Instructor Survey 2010
Methodology: Web Survey 943 respondents
(366 employees and 577 students)
1. Less ITS maintenance downtime (not weekends)
and pre-warned
2. Timely instructor responsiveness
3. Current information, no typos and operational
hyperlinks
4. Variety of learning strategies
5. More practical problem examples and practice exams
6. Contingency plans in place when instructors are
unavailable
7. Similar tuition costs for online and on campus courses
9. Research Canadian vs. American
Canadian challenges in comparison to United States’ (Lokken, 2009)
appeared similar...
Student demand for online courses exceeds offerings
Inadequate student services for distance education
Over 1/3 institutions didn’t offer online counselling (responded
to survey)
10. What were some factors suggested by
research to help new online students?
1. Faculty
2. Early contact
3. Students supporting students
4. Improved content and course design (e.g., relevance, navigation
and engagement)
12. References
Anderson, T. (2004). Practice guided by research in providing effective student support services. In J. Brindley, C. Walti & O. Zawacki-Riochter (eds.). Learner
Support in Open, Distance and Online learning Environments. (pp 259-272). Retrieved December 3, 2009, from http://hdl.handle.net/2149/756
Crazycardfreak. (February 05, 2008). Flunked the Nursing Program (video). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGGSFbHsKcM
eLearningToolBox.com (2001-2010). READI (Readiness for Education At a Distance Indicator). Prattville, AL: DECADE Consulting, LLC. Retrieved January 6,
2010, from http://onlinestudentreadiness.net/
Francis, David. (December 2009). Virtual campus development and delivery process review
Summary highlights of the report. Saskatoon, SK: SIAST (Saskatchewan Institute of Science and Technology). Virtual Campus. Retrieved January 6, 2010,
from http://programs.siast.sk.ca/vc/review/VC_Review_Summary_Dec_2009.pdf
Fslazar. (December 20, 2008). Nursing School Video
(video). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruzpMaksXdI
Lokken, F. (2009). 2008 Distance education survey results. Tracking the impact of elearning at community colleges. Instructional Technology Council. Retrieved
December 3, 2009, from http://www.itcnetwork.org/file.php?file=%2F1%2FITCAnnualSurvey2008Results.pdf
Maryland Online, Inc. (2009). QM website http://www.qualitymatters.org/
Moore, Janet. (2008). How do you help students complete online courses? Newburyport, MA: Sloan. Retrieved December 3, 2009, from http://www.sloan-
c.org/node/377
Onqorapparel. (April 26, 2009). Tribute to Nurses (video). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29fdVOqraQs
Owens, Janet, Hardcastle, Lesley and Richardson, Ben. (2009). Learning from a distance: The experience of remote students. Journal of Distance Education.
Vol. 23, No. 3, 53-74. AB: AU Press, Athabasca University. Retrieved January 28, 2010, from http://www.jofde.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/596/974
Robinson, Meghan. (2008). Distance learning online student orientation website. Newburyport, MA: The
SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology). (2009). Learner orientation handbook. Calgary, AB: Author. Retrieved January 8, 2010, from
http://citd.sait.ca/distance/student_services/documents/Learner_Orientation_Handbook.pdf
SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology). ( 2009). SAIT WebCT tutorials. Calgary, AB: Author. Retrieved December 3, 2009, from
http://citd.sait.ca/distance/student_services/webcthelp/tutorial/studenttutorial/
Sloan Consortium, Inc. Retrieved December 3, 2009, from http://www.sloan-c.org/node/377
Smith Nash, Susan. (2009). E-learner survival guide (First edition). Norman, OK: Texture Press. Retrieved January 8, 2010, from http://zenzebra.net/elearner-
survival-guide.pdf
University of Calgary. (2008). Blackboard student mini guide. Calgary, AB: Author. Retrieved January 8, 2010, from
http://elearn.ucalgary.ca/files/elearn/BB_MiniGuide_Sep_2008.pdf
University of Calgary. (2007). Continuing education online student handbook. Calgary, AB: Author. Retrieved January 8, 2010, from
http://conted.ucalgary.ca/elearn/pdf/student_handbook.pdf
WCET. (2009). Innovations in online student retention (Webcast). Retrieved December 3, 2009, from
http://www.wcet.info/2.0/index.php?q=OnlineStudentRetention
