The document discusses how online institutions can support student success through a mentoring model. It outlines different types of mentors like student mentors, course mentors, eCoaches, and peer mentors. It also discusses using pedagogical agents and formative assessments to provide mentors with student progress data. Recommendations include piloting additional support in high risk courses, creating a signature online degree program, and enhancing the existing e-tutor model at UNISA with evidence-based practices from other institutions.

1. 
Student Success in Online Courses using the
Mentoring Model
UNISA
Pretoria
14 February 2013
Margaret Korosec

2. • The Question
• Overview
• Student attributes and examples
• Course attributes and examples
• Support attributes and examples
• Recommendations and discussion

3. How can an Open
Distance Learning
Institution support
student success in
an online
environment?
Daily Aztec, “Lecture Series Talks Technology,”
2 Feb 2012 Creative Commons Attribution

5. Adan Garcia, “Students” Posted 2 Dec 2011, Creative Commons Attribution

6. English as
3rd or 4th Digitally
Employable language
after Rural vs. Literate
Self Paced urban
graduation vs. Guided Aware of
Cost:Benefit
Learning 18-25
Adult independent years old
Learner of time and Prior
space learning
Accelerated Broadband College
learning access At Risk Readiness

7. Generation IP: 2025

8. From the UNISA Open Distance Learning Policy:
"Appropriate use of technology is essential to the
survival of the institution as a global player”
(UNISA, 2008, p. 6).

9. • Part of a virtual learning environment
• Learning resource integration
• Embedded knowledge checks
• Student engagement tracking and reporting
• Adaptive environment
• Changes based on evidence
• Technology is transparent

11. Technology allows a glimpse into student activity
and performance within an online course; no
student should reach the assessment only to
realize they are not prepared to pass.

12. Examples in practice from WGU:
•Single-sign on capability with all resource
providers;
•103 books converted to e-books and delivered
onto one platform for streamlined learning
experience and usage tracking.
•Webtexts, OER resources, simulations

13. On your mobile device, please go to your
web browser and type in the
following:
m.socrative.com
Room number:
914598

14. “A teacher in the future will become more like a
mentor.”
President of MIT at the 2013 World
Economic Forum (Hellweg, 2013).

15. •Student Mentor
•Course Mentor
•eCoaching
•Peer-to-Peer
•Pedagogical Agents
OER Africa, Retrieved 12 Feb 2013 Google Images
Creative Commons Attribution

16. Student mentor supports student(s) throughout
duration of the course or degree program.

17. Student mentor supports student(s) throughout duration of the
Advantages Disadvantages
course or degree program.
The student mentor… The student mentor…
..has broad overview of student’s ..is unable to directly assist with
program; specific courses;
..understands student progress; ..may not be compatible with student;
..builds virtual relationship over time; ..is one to many students;
..identifies affective qualities and skills ..model may not be scalable.
that may need coaching intervention;
..helps navigate online program;
..engages through chat, telephone,
email;
..does not evaluate or assess;
..interaction with student tracked.

18. Course mentor supports student throughout
duration of one course.
Similar to UNISA e-tutor.

19. Advantages Disadvantages
The course mentor… The course mentor…
..provides subject specific support; ..does not “know” the students in the
..reaches out to students identified same manner as the student mentor;
as “at risk;” ..does not provide feedback on
..is available for students seeking assessments;
specific help; ..model must be weighed against
..supports cognitive qualities and institutional needs.
skills;
..model could be piloted for low
performing courses or programs;
..does not evaluate assessments.

20. Coaches supports students by listening and
asking reflective questions to spark conversation
in resolving non-academic issues.
“Recent research not only provides support that
emotions can affect the processes of reason, but
more importantly, emotions have been found to
be indispensable for rationality to occur.”
(Taylor, 2001:218).

21. Advantages Disadvantages
The coach… The coach…
.. provides holistic support to ..requires supplemental professional
students; development training and
.. facilitates institutional student certification;
support beyond academics; ..as e-coach requires technology and
..supports affective qualities; platform to implement.
..can be on demand one-on-one chat.

22. Peer-to-peer support is organized interface
between students.

23. Advantages Disadvantages
The student … The student …
..sees other students achieving; ..see other students struggling;
..experiences successful students; ..needs to commit to participation;
..gains confidence in being able to ..needs online environment to
support others; facilitate at scale.
..peer-to-peer model is built into
many virtual learning environments;
..peer-to-peer model is scalable.

24. Pedagogical agents are digital avatars that are
programmed to respond based on student
performance data within the online course.

25. Advantages Disadvantages
The pedagogical agent… The pedagogical agent…
.. assists based on data collected on .. is an investment in technology;
student engagement and progress; .. must be a component of a robust and
.. immediate interface with student when stable course delivery system;
help is needed most; .. some students may not be comfortable
.. may answer questions that would with this form of interaction.
otherwise be directed to e-tutor or
mentor.

26.  Western Governors University
 Formative assessment within webtext
(online course) provides course and student
mentors with progress dashboard. Helps
mentors direct attention to those in need.

27.  Purdue University Signals Project
 Formative assessment is ‘near’ real time
enabling feedback closer to the point of
assessment. Multiple points are aggregated
to generate a student profile that signals
the need for intervention or provides kudos
for progress (Purdue, 2013; Sharples et al.,
2012) .

28.  Southern New Hampshire University
 Introduced predictive models of success
based on individual student profiles and
demographics. This helps support staff to
set realistic expectations for success.

29.  Coursera
 Massive Online Open Courses represent not
only a shift to traditional education but also
a unique model where learning is
independent of time and space, peer-to-
peer mentoring is built into the
infrastructure and analytics enhance
personalized learning.

30. UNISA and e-tutor excellent model
Evidence of impact still in infancy
Pilot high risk modules with X% more interface
Consider ONE brand new fully online
“signature” degree program.
- sets tone of innovation
- market driven degree (employability)
- pilot mentor model most meaningful to UNISA

31. 
Thank you!
Margaret Korosec
mdkorosec@gmail.com
@mdkorosec