I both agree and disagree. I agree because I cannot force a student to take advantage of resources offered to them. Ultimately, the choice needs to be theirs. However, I disagree because people are inherently self-preserving. Even the most self-destructive behaviors are rooted in an internal desire and a pursuit of fulfillment. I share that to say that students who refuse help or do not utilize offers for assistance might do so solely because of the type of help offered or the manner in which it is offered.
I can tell someone to not get on a boat or I can tell someone to stay on the dock for a few minutes. The two instructions are exactly the same, but the former sounds far more negative than the later.
So, yeah, I both agree and disagree. The choice is ultimately up to the student, but providing many different types of and avenues to help can make a big difference.
Leigh,
These are all excellent follow ups. Very nice. Thanks.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
On the one hand, a student who does not respond is effectively turning down extra help. That does not mean, though, that the instructor should not continue to offer assistance. The instructor can continue to send the student reasonable emails, with offers of assistance, or just offers to answer any questions they may have. The instructor can contact student advisors, with whom the student may more easily talk about issues. The instructor can also pose reasonable questions which may draw the student in to reply and participate more fully.
william,
Very good. This is inline with many institutions.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
maryln,
Individual phone conversations are becoming more commons between online instructors and students.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I disagree, The best this is also CC the Academic advisor of the student. Send other information thrue email. If all else fails reach out and make a phone call
I often offer that students submit complete spreadsheets to me prior to the final deadline so that I can comment on them prior. Out of a class of 25 students I usually get 3-4. This is not to say that the others are doing well but that instead they do not take the time to take advantage of me doing this for every assignment.
I do not feel that there is much more that one can do. You post an announcement and you mention it weekly in your chats but beyond that it is up to the student.
If the student does not respond to your offers of help, if you have access to their phone number then you could reach out to the student that way. I personally would not feel comfortable meeting a student in a face to face situation.
I have found that sometimes a phone call will motivate a student to get involved in a course. They may perceive the instructor as interested in them and their problems. This does not always result in more participation, but seems to help some students get engaged.
I disagree with the statement posed in this discussion question. There IS more that an instructor can do.
What do I do when a student does not respond to my offer of help? In such a situation, I tried a back-door approach, so to speak. When the student did not respond to my offer, I sent the student an email in which I "advertised" the student's learning group. (Of course, I had previously sent all students emails regarding learning groups.) However, in the email to the student who did not respond to my offer of help, I noted, among other things, the positive aspects of working in the group. In this way, I tried to get the student to participate in his group. Some students will respond to group members and ask and receive help from group members, but will not respond to instructors.
Also, advisors in the advising department of a school can be asked to contact students who will not respond to instructors. Sometimes, students already have a good working relationship with their advisors. In such cases, advisors can be asked to tell the students that the instructor truly wants to help the student.
I agree with the statement to a certain extent. I also teach classes in a traditional setting and you could say much the same for this format of learning. The responsibility always falls mainly on the student. With that said, it is the instructor's duty to structure the course in such a way to invite student participation as much as possible. Multiple attempts to reach out to students in different ways will raise the chances of connecting with students and their "buying in" to the class and instructor.
Hi Kelli, thanks for sharing some thought provoking tips. What do you mean when you say hand holding feedback? Is this like baby sitting the students? Which ones have you used and found to be more effective than others? Thanks for sharing.
If an online student does not respond to your offers to help; as an online Instructor, there is very little more you can do. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer. Now the question becomes how do you get the student to respond? If I have offered my assistance to a student and that student failed to respond, I would probably give another try by emailing the student and his or her advisor and if the student is on line I will IM the student to get a dialogue going. Sometimes within my grading comments I have had to ask the student to contact me by providing my office number and sometimes my cell number. I found this to be quite helpful. I feel that one of the major keys is to let the student know that you truly care about their well being and education.
I agree with that statement in general, but there are multiple avenues to provide assistance and multiple opportunities to provide it.
At the beginning of class I ensure that students know that they can email or phone at any time. I say this at the end of each chat session and in every email I send to students who seem to be struggling.
I send students who haven't turned in assignments an email that reiterates my willingness to help and provides specific suggestions on things that might help for that assignment, i.e., a link to a website or tutoring services, etc. I CC their advisors on that too, hoping that the advisor can reach out as well.
I use internet chat to reach out to students who are online - of course this only reaches those who are at least logged in and ostensibly trying to get through course material.
But...in the end, we can only help those who are open to being helped.
There are ways to engage the non-responsive online student and not just give up on them. For example, an instructor can instant messaging them just to say, "I'm around if you need me". You can also prompt them with a specific question regarding the course content, and ask them to respond to you. For example, you can IM or email them and ask, "do you have any questions about the formulas used in this week's homework assignment?". Another way to engage the non-responsive students is by adding a small group assignment. This will require them to interact with other students and in discussions regarding the homework. By utilizing the small group assignment requirement, an instructor can ensure that the nonresponsive students will be actively participating in the class, especially, if the student feels intimidated when contacting the instructor.
Patrice
Erin,
These are all very reasonable. Nice job.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Kimberly ,
I am very glad to know of your success. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I'd say that I agree to the extent that you can only do so much when you never "see" the student. This is a tricky area, and I certainly try and do everything I can without being invasive. Certainly some students will simply not respond to any kind of outreach, and once you've exhausted appropriate avenues, it feels like beating your head against a wall.
For students who don't fall into the category of severe avoidance, I think there is plenty you can do. Email -- at any and all contact information -- is definitely how I would begin. I'd let the student know that they should not hesitate to reach out to me, no matter how trivial or severe their concerns.
My school has an IM feature that shows when folks are logged in, and this is another possibility for outreach. A quick message -- "Hi, I'm online" or a reminder about office hours, can go a long way in making you seem accessible to the student.
After a short period of no response, I will reach out to the student's advisor, who may feel comfortable with phoning or other tactics that seem a bit extreme for me.
I disagree - I feel that by emailing them personally and giving them a statement of motivation " If you get tired REST but do not quit - Keep on Keeping on!" I receive positive responses everytime I add motivation to checking to see how they are....
Latasha,
Thank you for your perseverance. Continued outreach to the students can payoff.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
