Assisting the Online Student
I disagree, if you cannot reach a student with offers of help you can still encourage the student with any and all of the assignments and tests the student completes. This encouragement might build a trust with the student that can lead to the student accepting help later in the course. The use of a biography for the student and instructor may also lead to a way to reach a student and establish a dialogue that will again develop a trust between the student and the instructor.
Jonida,
Have you found any strategies to connect with these students that will not connect with you? Have you been able to eventually bring them in to the course in a more "connected" way over time?
Herbert Brown III
I am somewhere in between. I have situations where the student would not respond to my emails or phone calls. The student would not log into the classroom till the end of the class but even then you can help them but showing what they need to do to achieve the learning objectives of the class.
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.
It is still possible to help the student. The instructor will need to be persistent and will have to show the student that he or she has good intentions. The student may have a tough time accepting criticism, which could be the reason he is not responding to the feedback. This is why it is so important to set a positive tone for the classroom on day one so the students are aware of what to expect from the class as well as what to expect from you as the instructor. If this still doesn't work, the instructor might need to involve a third party, such as a student advisor who may be on campus or who may have a working relationship with the student and will be able to "reach" the student better.
Alfred,
Thanks for sharing these two forms of support that be used by other online instructors.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
While it does make it more difficult it is not impossible to help. At my school we have learning labs which are really helpful to students. We also have tutoring for some courses. So those are two opportunities to suggest.
Also I find that if one student is having trouble with a topic several are likely to be having the same trouble. I try and incorporate help in a a livechat for a group oras an announcement for the entire class.
