Cultural Diversity in On line Students
My situation is a little different in that I am an advisor at an on line university. The way our system works, the advisor is the first line of contact for the students as they work through courses on line. We have students all over the world. The fact that some of our students are dealing with disasters, traumas and even war in their countries drastically affects their motivation and retention. This year many of my students in West Africa have faced lock downs because of the Ebola virus. This means they cannot get to Internet Cafes which is where they normally would go to do their studies. My strategy has been to continue to encourage them through email, which they can see on their phones, so that when they can return to studying, they will still be motivated.
Gail,
You do have a challenge in providing support to your students. Your example is such a clear one in that it illustrates that the students we are working with do have situations that are well beyond their control as well as ours. Your approach is a good one because until their lives settled down and some measure of comfort is established for these individuals in West Africa being online students is low priority. Just knowing you are still there as a concerned supporter is important for such students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
