Albert,
Great post. You are lucky your institution provides that extensive resources to help students with their challenges in an online course. It sounds like there is continuity among your courses and that is great. Students don't have to learn something new for each course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Lindsey,
Great post! I find that students always underestimate the time it takes to complete assignments. This seems to become a much more glaring problem in the online environment. The student self-analysis can help us guide students to a realization of problems and work on them.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Annabel,
Great observation. Yes, the readiness is a clue (clue phone ringing maybe) about what skills the student needs to be successful in an online course. We need to help students evaluate their weaknesses and strengths and act accordingly. Most students don't know what to do with the information.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
ROBERT,
Great post regarding the use of self analysis. it is such an asset to provide that needed guidance that an instructor can provide. With using the technology, you can focus on providing that needed instruction that will help them be successful in your online course and others.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kathleen,
You are right. Time management is the problem for almost all of my students. I actually now have my students go through an Outlook Calendar tutorial that I created to help them plan their time. I put their tentative schedule for the course with hard deadlines in calendar form. Then students can use their phones to keep up with deadlines.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Albert,
Your post is such a great observation. There is so much information about learning students don't know that they don't know. We really don't get much individual information on each student and help them navigate their learning. It is really a luxury to have it. You can provide that differentiated instruction from the resources you can create to help facilitate online learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
James,
Great observations . an self analysis inventory can make learning very efficient and a way to create differentiated learning by using online resources.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
My university does provide an extensive orientation for new students. The orientation does focus on the use the technology and navigating through the virtual campus.
A complete list of tutorials and a 24/7 support technical service is provided throughout the sessions.
The faculty is responsible for collecting information on the student's level of skills and the level of readiness for taking an online course. I rarely encounter a student who is taking my course as their first online course.
The faculty is responsible for providing expectations for each of the items in the inventory. In addition, a set of rules and a protocol for the expected behavior of a successful student must be clearly stated to the student. Finally the faculty must provide announcements and referrals to students who require additional support, including non-technical support. A student is expected to contact the instructor when the expectations cannot be satisfied by the student.
The faculty are responsible for providing expectations for each of the items in the inventory. In addition, a set of rules and a protocol for the expected behavior of a successful student must be clearly stated to the student. Finally the faculty must provide announcements and referrals to students who require additional support, including non-technical support.
Hi All,
It’s all about preparations. And a self-analysis inventory is an excellent way for a student to become familiar with the requirements of the online environment and the course, especially as students are coming into the class with such varied ability levels. Students then can enter the class with a better sense of the realities they will face. Strengths and weaknesses can be identified early, and plans can be made to address these individually. Done right, the assessment becomes a firm foundation for success in the class.
James.
I encounter student readiness problems in the traditional class room and in the online classroom. I believe that it is so important for the student to know that instructor "cares" and is concerned about the success of a student. Online self-assessment of one's skills, readiness and expectations about the course is absolutely essential I begin every traditional course with a discussion on course objectives and goals along with the student management of their learning activities.
Unfortunately, I do not have a 100% response from students unless the online university makes that survey a part of the course. Some online universities provide these self-assessments during student orientation and provide academic advisement through the college advisers.
A self-assessment provides clear evidence to each student that the instructor requires the student to "belong" in the class room and to develop a need to belong by associating definite skills and time related activities to the course assignments. A general university wide self-assessment of skills is not fully equipped to address the particular course work and course activities. Every instructor will need reliable information on a student's weakness, a student's level of required skills and a student's expectation of time usage throughout the course.
Since I do not have an effective way to capture timely information from students, I encourage them to engage in a pre-sessions open chat discussion. I learn that you can use this information to engage students privately about their particular set of skills and expectations for the course.
For example, a student who is older and struggling with medical treatments during course requires timely communications. A single parent with young children and with a job requires communication on time management and perhaps some adjustment with due dates or with due times. A student who is older who has never attended college will need some information on reading, comprehension, and writing skills and that information is offered by my online university through tutors and tutorials.
Information about each individual student is as important as a public announcement on the importance of time management.
ugh the college advisers.
A self assessment provides clear evidence to each student that the instructor requires the student to "belong" in the class room and to develop a need to belong by associating definite skills and time related activities to the course assignments. A general self assessment of skills is not fully equipped to address the particular course work and course activities. Every instructor will need reliable information on a student's weakness, a student's level of required skills and a student's expectation of time usage throughout the course.
Since I do not have an effective way to capture timely information from students, I encourage them to engage in a pre-sessions open chat discussion. I learn that you can use this information to engage students privately about their particular set of skills and expectations for the course.
For example, a student who is older and struggling with medical treatments during course requires timely communications. A single parent with young children and with a job requires communication on time management and perhaps some adjustment with due dates or with due times. A student who is older who has never attended college will need some information on reading, comprehension, and writing skills which is offered by my online university.
Information about each individual student is as important as a public announcement on the importance of time management.
It allows us as instructors to understand how best to encourage and assist our students as well as allow students to have some self awareness which will help them plan for the course. I often see students wait until the last minute to complete assignments and study for exams. A self assessment at the beginning will help them to understand that online classes take time and discipline.
Hello,
I believe that the assessment is critical for any student in order for the instructor to better understand the student's strengths and weaknesses. In addition, students will be able to have a better understanding of the online expectations and what is required of them as a student to succeed with the online courses.
As an instructor, I will be able to use the information from the assessment on know how to motivate each individual student and meet their learning needs. Furthermore, I will be able to provide guidance on time management skills and other areas that they may struggle with.
Warm Regards,
Annabel
Completing a self analysis inventory will help the instructors prepare the students for the expectations and realities of the online environment. the inventory provides strengths and weaknesses of the student which can help instructors to provide guidance to students to achieve learning outcomes.
Great post Melissa. I also find that technology is not the major issue. Time management is the key issue for many of my students. Although the online environment affords flexibility, it is so easy for students to get wrapped up in whatever else is going on in their lives, that they forget about the online requirements. Some students flourish in the flexible environment, and others need the structure that a brick and mortar classroom requires.
I believe success in an online environment requires a great deal of self discipline. A self-analysis inventory would help determine if a student has the characteristics necessary to succeed.
Michael ,
The self awareness is so important. You make a great point about that. When we create student centered learning we have to make it student responsible. Self-awareness must be a part of that. You hope that you introduce and/or reinforce skills that they will take to the next online course or to their profession.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
sydney,
Agreed. It does provide you information to develop or make available resources that technology can provide.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Tiffany,
I think at time we misjudge students in f2f courses. Self analysis can be use an important tool to counteract the anxiety students have of not knowing what they don't know. It really provides differentiated learning opportunities.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kaitlin,
What a great example of using a self-analysis inventory. I agree they give great information to create the most effective path for students to take regarding learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
There are a few reasons that it's important to have online students complete a self-analysis inventory.
In online classes, instructors have less face to face contact with students. Therefore they lack many visual clues about students' understanding of the material, and their preparedness. By having the information from the self-analysis instrument available, the instructor can learn of deficiencies in preparedness, time management skills, cognition or development. The instructor can then adjust their teaching strategies to better accommodate their students.
In addition, online courses require that students be more proactive, more self-directive than ground courses. By going through the exercise of completing the self-analysis survey and reflecting on the results and instructor's feedback; students gain important self knowledge. They increase their self awareness and their ability to direct their own efforts, thus contributing to their likelihood of success.
With not being able to see the students face to face,it is more difficult to determine how they learn. It is important to do a student self analysis to gain more information on what they know, and how they learn. Instructors should also complete a self analysis.
