Working online makes it a little more difficult to establish rapport among the students and between the instructor and the students. Our school has tried to put a few things in place to help instructors in the area. Every instructor is required to post a Welcome Letter and a Policy Letter the first day of the class. In the Welcome Letter, instructors are to introduce themselves to the class both personally and professional by giving a short biography of themselves. We are now encouraging instructors to include pictures of themselves in this letter or to develop a PowerPoint or short video for the class. Students need to connect a face with a voice. Students also have an upload area where they can share a biography of themselves. This way students can get to know their classmates in a personal way. They can make connectrions through having the same majors, similar jobs, children that are approimately the same age, or life circumstances that are alike. Many on campus classes begin with an exercise like this so that students establish a rapport with each other immediately. We also have a journal entry in my communication class that helps me get to know my students on an individual basis with whatever information they would like to share with me. Through email and feedback on assignments, I am able to offer guidance and assistance to any student that I suspect needs help. I also call students who will send me their phone number to tutor anyone who needs extra help. The phone call is more personal and much more efffective than a string of emails;therefore, giving students assurance that their success is important to me.
Hi Kim,
What a great idea. I hadn't thought of that side of accounting but when you mention it you caught my attention as well. Knowing something about accounting in the CJ world would be so helpful considering all the different types of crimes that involve accounting.
Thanks for sharing.
Gary
Hi Brian,
I agree with your assessment of how life influences the success of many students. Your policy of giving them some flexibility in their attendance (one free pass) is a good way to show them you understand life can come rushing at them to the point they need to deal with it right then. I have this same policy and it has worked well for me.
Thanks for sharing it.
Gary
An instructor can increase student retention through making the material applicable to the students field of study. I have taught Accounting I to Criminal Justice Majors and brought in a guest speaker who spoke about Forensic Accounting and really peaked the interest of the students as the CJ side of Accounting was introduced and was something they could relate to.
Kim H.
I think one of the biggest factors is in the "human side". You need to be understanding. As adult learners, life goes on, there are sick children, working later than expected, general life issues. You need to be flexible (careful not to be taken advantage of) and willing to adapt to situations for the students. Instead of penalizing for missing a class or late assignment, I generally allow a student one free pass if they have a legitimate reason for missing. I think this shows a little flexibility and understanding without being categorized as an easy or push-over instructor.
I generally try to learn my students' names in the first class period so I can greet them at the second class by their name. I have relatively small classes so it's easier for me. I make the students tell me how far along they are in their program, what their employment goals are, and what they would like to learn in the class.
As an online instructor, establishing rapport takes a different approach. It begins with the first "please introduce yourself" discussion and continues during comments on graded work and respsonses in subsequent discussions. Does anyone out there have other ways you build rapport.. more personal? I try to send e greeting b-day cards when appropriate, make notes of challenges and follow up on them, start fun alternative dicussions etc.
Has anyone has success with live chats or office hours? Are these regularly scheduled or as needed?
I try to greet all my students either as they come in the door or once they are in the classroom. I inquire as to how their week has been so far, and listen to what they have to say. I feel I do have a good rapport with my students. I have made myself available for a small amount of time to my students to assist with questions that they may have come upon during their reading and they are all aware that they can email or phone me with any problems. I also have a school form for doing one on one conversations with each students and will meet with them as I also see the need. This is especially important with those that have low attendance or poor grades. I remind the students of upcoming quizzes and papers due.
I try to make the class fun. I feel students learn better when they are enjoying themselves and are a bit more relaxed but I still need then to do the work.
Hi Michael,
Good comments on how to bring educational reform to the classroom. Customized and direct instruction is a powerful tool for doing just what you have outlined. This student centered approach will increase the retention of students as well as increase their satisfaction with their education. It is as you said a "win-win" for everyone.
Gary
Student Retention should not occur. I always believe that you create a win-win approach. What is a win-win approach you ask, it is where you create a game plan for the course so the students can be successful from introduction (first impression), being there (answering their questions), support (life difficulties), learning (real world applications, resources, and sample problems to name a few), and caring (student success in the course).
A model for student I would like to see for education is tailored to the student based on their abilities not to condone them but to enhance them. We all know every course where every student will not get an A. That is where the challenge begins. We all like to be well rounded students taking a variety of different courses but if those courses are not tailored to your needs then being a successful student might not occur.
So a model needs to take place even before starting to take classes. It would start in the evaluation process of that student based upon everything they have done up to that point to really get to know the student instead of just being a number. Tailor a program around them instead of the student around the program.
In summary, a student is an individual first with needs to be successful in life. It is up to the education community as a whole to deliver the results.
Michael
Hi Alan,
Thank you for sharing this great story with us. This is what teaching is all about. I know after this man told you his story and you were inspired to work even harder to prepare and present to your students.
This is what keeps all of us instructors coming back to the classroom day after day.
Gary
I have been an educator now for approximately 14 years after 30+ years in the world of business. My managerial philosophy was always treat employees and customers the same by being friendly, firm, and fair.
This philosophy works in the world of education to a point. Just like every other instructor, I have driven myself crazy trying to discover the key to student retention. O
One day I was subbing for another instructor and I learned a "secret of life" from a student. It had been one of those class sessions where I wasn't sure anyone was home at times. Close to the end of class I began reviewing what was covered during class. I asked the class if anyone had realized any relativity to the subject matter and if they believed they could apply it to their lives. There was a very large man in the back of the room who said, "I will." So, I asked him what he had learned and why he thought he would be able to apply it to his life. His reply was simple. This man said he would apply it because I had proven to him that it was important enough for me to poor my heart and soul into providing the lesson, so he felt he owed it to me to apply the lesson. In other words, he said, "I was motivated to learn the lesson because you proved to us that you cared and that it was important to you that we did learn the lesson. He said the secret to him being motivated to learn was provided by the fact that the instructor who he didn't even know was motivated enough to prove he cared about him learning.
The moral of this lesson is that one secret to retention is simply demonstrating to the students that you as an Instructor care about them learning.
An instructor can increase student retention by creating a learning environment where each and every student feels they can succeed and have the ability to apply the new skills to their career rather quickly. If students feel successful and confident and enjoy class, they will attend consistently and develop.
Yes, everyone learns at his own pace and has unique contributions. I strive to let each student know that when I see improvement, or they applied the lecture and demonstration to their lab class work I complement them.
Increasing student retention can be graatly increased by finding out what difficulties your students are having with the carriculum or the class presentation and work on targeting these deficiencies. This approach will ensure that the students are able to receive the training with understanding. This will greatly increase student confidence and their willingness to put forth the effort to be successful.
Hi Angel,
Good ideas for increasing student retention. Thanks for sharing them with us. Your points revolve around the central theme of showing the students you care and this needs to be where all of us instructors operate.
Gary
An instructor can increase student retention in a few ways. The first would be to tailor the lectures to their lives. Make it so that they can relate and apply it to their life or future. A second way is to geniuinely care about them and their success. If a student's grades are slacking, the instructor should talk to the student to see what is going on and to offer help. A third way would be to go above & beyond to make sure the students understand the topic and get something meaningful out of it, even if they can't yet apply it to their lives/job.
I find increasing the student’s retention to work best if you give a 20-25 min. lecture then allow the student's to do hands on project.
Several things can be done:
1. By letting each student know that they are valued.
2. Each student will learn the course at a different pace and knowing which students need more encouragement then others.
3. Helping them to see how what they are learning will help them to find the career they are looking for.
4. Encouraging and pointing out not only there classroom learning but how they have grown as a person.
