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Mad Lat Conference 2013
- 1. Student & Support Service Considerationsfor Online Learners Rosemary Vogt Red River College, Winnipeg Manitoba Canada 2013
- 2. • Fanshawe College(London Ontario) Strategic Plan 2013/14 focus on expansion renewal to launch 7 new programs in Fall offering Weekend College • Is offering a MOOC in Applied Sustainability • University of Prince Edward Island has launched a Facebook – delivered massive open online course (MOOC) • PEI government (2013 -14 budget)promises to deliver up to 8,000 online courses over the next 2 years • Queens’s University Senate Academic Planning Task Force releases a draft report on on-line learning – want to begin promoting efforts to use on-line technology • http://www.academica.ca/
- 3. Why should wecare about e- learning? • It’s about the learners • Helping learners meet their goals • Improves access to education • Increases employment opportunities • Its about Bricks & Mortar • Increased enrollments/programming = less physical space • New structures take 3-5 years to build – providing there is $$$$ • Time frames - miss the boat – missed opportunity – chance time • It’s about the competition • Students as consumers • Will purchase product that best suits their needs • It’s about changing the way we do business • A threat to our practice only if we are not willing to change
- 4. Who is thisonline learner? • Women enroll at a higher rate than men • In 1999–2000, women comprised the majority of those earning postsecondary degrees on-line • Average student pursuing a postsecondary credential completely online is a white, 33 year old woman with a full time job • Likely to be studying business • 70% in a recent survey were women • 60 % Caucasian • 20 % Black • 8% Hispanic • 60 % employed full time • 20 % part time • 19% unemployed (www.insidehighered) (http://www.adesignmedia.com/OnlineResearch/gendervoicev9n1_anderson.pdf)
- 5. What else shouldyou know? • 1/3 of college students are taking at least one course online (up from 10% in 2003) (www.ecampus news) • The majority are employed undergraduates (81%) • Only 16 % are traditional students (Full time age 15 – 23) • There is an increase in disabled and military students (www.onlineuniversities.com) • And yes, we are offering courses like nursing, paramedic and apprenticeship trades education online through hybrid forms of delivery
- 6. 1/3 of allcollege students are taking at least one course online They are our invisible learners on campus
- 7. A closer lookat the online learner: • Generally self motivated, self disciplined, fairly confident • Willing to step out of the box to get their educational needs met • Ability to work independently • Willing to speak up if problems arise • Willing to commit 8 – 9 hours a week per course • Able to communicate through writing • Able to think ideas through before responding • Believe that learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom
- 8. What do theyneed? • To be respected and valued (like a f2f learner) • Need access to their instructor (like f2f) • Need assurance of support (needs met as required) • Need to be familiar with using a computer and perhaps going a little beyond their comfort zone
- 9. Like all learners– e-learners bring: • Individual learning styles /aptitudes • All their previous learning experiences into the learning environment (just like f2f) • Aspects of culture, language, gender, socio-economic status
- 10. What can wedo? Colleges /universities / organizations need to support faculty and create learning environments and campus cultures that support learning / teaching online: • We need to start talking the talk and walking the walk • Spreading the word –be excited about meeting learner needs through alternative forms of delivery • Telling success stories • Serving up alternative delivery koolaid • Get others on-board!!!!
- 11. On-linestudentsupportservicesbeginwithavariety ofnon-academicinteractions: • Pre-enrollment services(recruiting, promotion, orientation) • Admissions and registration • Academic advising • Financial planning and management • Library and bookstore services • Academic and career counseling • Social support services • Technical support services We need to train them to talk the talk and walk the walk • Spread the word • Be excited • Tell success stories
- 12. If you arelooking for Readiness Tools • Smarter Measure – Learning readiness indicator (Institutional) • http://www.smartermeasure.com/ • Google online learning readiness • Many resources for personal/individual consumption
- 13. Doweneed separatestudent supportservices foronline learners? Is there money for that? Is it necessary? Guidelines for creating student services online: http://wcet.wiche.edu/wcet/docs/beyond/overview.pdf Does support already exist for f2f learners? • There is no need to reinvent the wheel • Develop existing services for both traditional and distance students
- 14. Mostexistingservicesoncampusaredesignedfromthe institutionspointofview,notthestudent: • Students gofrom office to office to receive support services • Get conflicting information and advice • Same experience for online students • Click from one page to the next and encounter conflicting information and advice
- 15. Institutions should askthemselves: • Are student support services designed with all students in mind? • Are services interactive? • Provide real services – not just a series of recorded messages but connection to a real human being • Do services allow for customization by various departments?
- 16. Frameworkfor designingprocessesand programsto supportstudentsf2f and online Universal Design: creating flexible learning environments that accommodate individual differences; an environment in which all learners can be successful. Floyd, D. L and Casey-Powell, D. (2004).
- 17. Learner Intake Phase •Assess student readiness for online learning • Who needs to be on board with this? • Pre-enrollment assessment • Admissions • Registration • Financial aid • Information technology • Orientation
- 18. Learner Intervention Phase •Support students in their self development • Inform / show students how they can be successful • Where can they go for support? • What technology training do they need? Where/ how can they get it? • When and how do they have access to faculty?
- 19. Learner Support Phase •Students accept responsibility for developing their own skills • Seek out academic advising • Instructional support and tutoring • Library and bookstore services (Online libraries) • Disability services • Networking
- 20. Learner Transition Phase •Student may require career, counseling and job placement services: • Assist students in their personal and professional transitions • How to deal with life (instrumental in retaining students) • Resume writing • Interviewing strategies
- 21. Measurement Phase • Assessretention, persistence and completion rates: • Review course evaluations • If you take up an evaluation and review it, you must take action • Otherwise, why evaluate if you are not going to do anything with the data.
- 22. ASystemsApproachtosupportlearningregardlessofcampus locationormethodofdelivery • The modelrelies on traditional methods of student support services • Professionals need to invent new paradigms to ensure online learning success • Individual colleges need to refine the model to meet specific needs • Most importantly, the student comes first • All programs and services should be designed and implemented with student success as primary goal • The model provides support from matriculation to graduation
- 23. Recommendations • Redefine traditionalstudent support services to ensure success for all learners • Reframe to incorporate the needs of online learners • Develop a process model committed to student success • Prioritize student services to ensure commitment to offering online courses • Onboarding: Provide professional development and in-service training to student support services personnel • Distance learning support services must be integrated into a college’s mainstream activities • The commitment of financial resources for online student support service needs
- 24. My Experiences: What areyou willing to put in as an instructor? • Provide lots and lots of praise • Be available on evenings and weekends • Response time- LMS limitations • Text messaging to prospective students (an idea)
- 25. Conclusion • Online studentsexpect to receive online support services that will allow them to succeed • They will shop around for institutions that provide learning support services • Services must be user friendly – learner centered • Student expect rapid responses • Enrollment in online programs is growing • Retaining students is a problem if institutional administrators do not commit to maintaining appropriate support services • Learners unhappy at one college will simply go elsewhere Facilitating learning online is rewarding work.
- 26. References Bruso, J. L.“A Comprehensive Orientation to Address Diverse Student Needs.” In C. Dalziel and M. Payne (eds.), Quality Enhancing Practices in Distance Education: Student Services. Washington, D.C.: Instructional Telecommunications Council, 2001. Cox, D. H. Online Student Services Self-Assessment Tool. Unpublished paper adapted from the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications’ “Online Student Services Provision: A Guide for Good Practice” and the Council for the Advancement of Standards and Guidelines, 2001. http://irt.austincc.edu/presentations/2003/aacc McRaeOnlineStudentServices.pdf. Dalziel, C., and Payne, M. (eds.). Quality Enhancing Practices in Distance Education: Student Services. Washington, D.C.: Instructional Telecommunications Council, 2001. Dirr, P. J. Putting Principles into Practice: Promoting Effective Support Services for Students in Distance Learning Programs: A Report on the Findings of a Survey. Project report funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, 1999. http://www.wcet.info/projects/studentservices. Floyd, D. L., and Weihe, L. “Commitments to Non-Credit Students: Issues for Student Development Educators.” Journal of Staff Program and Organization Development, 1985, 3(4), 128–132. Floyd, D. L and Casey-Powell, D. (2004). “New roles for student support services in distance learning”. New Directions for Community Colleges, 128 Helfgot, S. R. “Counseling at the Center: High Tech, High Touch.” In S. R. Helfgot and M. G. Culp (eds.), Promoting Student Success in the Community College. New Directions for Student Services, no. 69. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995.
- 27. References Miller, T., andPrince, J. The Future of Student Affairs. A Guide to Student Development for Tomorrow’s Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1976. RDR Associates. New Connections: A Guide to Distance Education. Washington, D.C.: Instructional Telecommunications Council, 1998. RDR Associates. New Connections: A Guide to Distance Education. Washington, D.C.: Instructional Telecommunications Council, 1998. Seeman, E. “Creating an Online Orientation and Student Support Services.” In C. Dalziel and M. Payne (eds.), Quality Enhancing Practices in Distance Education: Student Services. Washington, D.C.: Instructional Telecommunications Council, 2001. Shea, P., and Armitage, S. “Guidelines for Creating Student Services Online.” In P. Shea and S. Armitage (eds.), WCET LAAP Project Beyond the Administrative Core: Creating Web-Based Student Services for Online Learners. Boulder, Colo.: Western Cooperative for Educational Technologies, 2003. http://www.wcet.info/projects/laap/ guidelines/overview.htm. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. Distance Education: Definition and Principles: A Policy Statement. Atlanta: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 2000. Southern Regional Education Board. Principles of Good Practice: The Foundation for Quality of the Electronic Campus. Atlanta: Southern Regional Education Board,2002–03.