Online learning and Technical Support
The question how critical is technical support to online learning being a fulfilling and successful experience.
I have found if tech suport is not top notch the learning experience can really suffer.
And persistance! I have found it can take a great deal of persistance to be successful in college, especially as an adult learner!
I agree. However, a student should not allow technical difficulties to get in the way of continuing the course. Just like a standard classroom setting, a student needs to overcome obstacles with intelligence and patience.
Very interesting! Thanks for the follow up.
Like everything else, it reverts to communication. I have found that tech support will escalate the call to another technician if he is unable to solve the problem. I would hope the students r eceive the same treatment. I have not heard otherwise.
I find Tech Support to be there and most willing to assist. When the issue is too much for the receieving technician, he passes it on and I always get a callback. That is one of the reasons I fell so confident in recommending this resource to my students.
I have used Tech Support many times, have found it to be so helpful, that I recommend to my students without hesitation.
Actually an online professional certificate program of 10 month duration- only open to RNs. The focus was on legal nurse consulting as well as the typical paralegal program components- was a challenge....
Nurse paralegal studies--was that a double major? I haven't heard of those two programs together before.
As someone else pointed out, public libraries and other public computers can also be a back up for students who don't have access to a second computer.
I enjoyed your post here I concur the value of tech support can't be overstated. Thanks.
TD
Dennis,
What is the student encounters a tech person that is ignorant to the problem? Maybe the tech support person doesn't have the skill to walk someone through a problem. This is a teaching envionment and not everyone can teach...
TD
Most of my online students are still technology challenged. In fact, when they contact tech support, they are more confused than before. I tell students to make sure they have a backup computer that works so if their primary computer goes down, they have a backup. Hmmm... what a concept. Most computers cost less than 500 dollars.. No excuse not to have a backup.
TD
At my college we have many older and alternative students. Many 40 and 50 year old students get easily frustrated with computers and the online platform. If tech support proves reliable and dependable and can "fix" their issues, we can make friends out of these older students who are definitely out of their cohort.
I recently completed an online program in nurse paralegal studies. Tech Support was not a factor, but I was comfortable knowing it was available, if I needed to use it. I believe that students who experience good tech support know that they have one less obstacle to overcome as they progress in their program of study.
You are right, when technology doesn't work, it can give the student a negative impression. However, it can also be used as a teaching moment because sometimes, even in the best of situations, technology goes down.
Francis,
I have to agree but add customer service as well to the group. I as instructor do refer my students to tech support as well but when tech support is knowledgeable but yet understaffed, your wait times can be quiet high. On the 1st day of any class, my thought is to overstaff your tech support and customer service. This will assure that the students, and instructor gets the "top notch" service.
If the wait time in long, students and instructors will get discouraged and may revert back to the traditional style of learning which we do not want.
As for technology - isn't that the entire point of online learning ? If it isn't working properly - or slow on the 1st day, what impression are we giving to our students? Especially those whom are taking an online course for the first time ?
It is very hard to be successful in an online class if the technology isn't working! Thanks for your comments Cynthia.
Tech support is an essential component related to the overall learning experience and ultimate outcome for the class. For example, if a student experiences techn issues early on in a course and is unable to resolve those issues, he may not be able to succeed in the course due to frustration or not being able to accomplish the necessary tasks for the learning objectives. The sooner technical issues are resolved, the more likely a student will potentially fare well in the course.
Good point LeiShon. I find that some of the older students are a little less sure of their technical skills. However, in most cases they don't have any problems.
