AS an instructor in an online environment I can still provide the assistance and refer to it each time there is an assessment made. Just as in a ground classroom, if the student does not want help, in the end there is nothing that can be done other than make help easy to get to.
There are many options an online instructor can take to reach this struggling online learner. Personally, my approach is calling the student, emailing the student and texting the student. Lately, we have implanted Facebook as a communication tool to reach the struggling student that has failed to respond to the previous means of communication. The Facebook account, must be and is strictly professional. The same contact information that is available to the student in the online environment is available to the student in the facebook account. This is not a means to engage with the student in any other way rather than academically, so no pictures are posted. Any requests from individuals outside of the course are simply ignored. I had suggested this some time back to the program chairs, but it isn't until now that it has been enacted.
I disagree; I would engage the assistance of the student's academic online advisor in contacting the student to offer assistance with the class. If this strategy is not successful, I would reach out to the program chair to seek guidance in rectifying this situation. On occasion, students are in precarious situations that disallow them to continue their education momentarily.
John,
I certainly try to provide every opportunity to reach the students as often as possible.
Herbert Brown III
At one level, this is correct, as the old saying goes "you can lead a horse to water ...," but there is something to be said for persistence. If a student doesn't respond to a first or second request, there is still a third and a fourth, right?
John wise
It is very hard to force an online student to respond to your help. So I do agree with Mr. Brown's statement. I usually start out each semester (or quarter/session/module) with optimism that all students read the feedback. But by the 3 assignment I am fully aware of which students are and are not using my feedback. The one way to reinforce the necessary reading and use of the instructor's feedback is by creating a building assignment. This is where the use of feedback from one assignment is mandatory for a subsequent assignment. The university does this by allotting 20% of the students grade to be based on using the instructor's feedback. I have found this to be a very effective means in getting students to respond to feedback.
I do not necessarily agree with that statement. It is true that we are more limited because we are not meeting with the students face to face. The standard protocol is to contact the student‘s advisor in order to try and get some response. I have found that my directly contacting the student has worked well for me. I have contacted them on their personal email as well as their school email. My school has a form letter that we can send out. However, I try to personalize my letter. I will say that about 50% of my students respond back after my sending them a personalize message. I will admit that this a much more time consuming but I do feel that this personal touch lets the students know that I care even though we are not face-to-face.
If an online instructor does not respond to my offers to help I can always talk with the student academic advisor to see if he or she needs additional help. Sometimes the student is afraid to ask for help. I will make sure that all of my resources are available.
Herbert,
If a student does not respond to my initial email or phone message, then I take two other approaches :
(1) have an adviser that is a male contact the student (some students have issues with specific genders or personalities)
(2) send something light comical and personal to lighten the discussion and hopefully provide a safer environment for discussion
Lauree Lee
This situation is so frustrating! Thankfully, my school has excellent online student advocates, so if the student does not respond to me, then they might respond to the advocate. I think an online professor's job is to keep reaching out week after week, in as many different ways as possible, to try to reach out to the student.
I don't know if there is little you can do, but you do have to have all the data available before you give up. I need to know what the student's challenges are before I contact them so I can have suggestions to help.
Jared,
I agree with your ideas. It is very important to try to reach all students through all means necessary to help them succeed.
Herbert Brown III
I disagree with this statement. Right off the bat, there are at least two things an online instructor can do. First, the online instructor can email or call or send a text message to the student. Second, the online instructor can notify the student's program administrator of the student's non-responsiveness.
I disagree with this statement. I work in a hybrid course, so I have my online students for a resident portion of class as well. This way I am able to have a face to face conversation to those that need the extra help. They tend to respond a little better especially when given a little time in class (even if only for a few minutes). I try to work with each student with a level of compassion and understanding no matter the situation that they face.
Brenda,
You need to have a clear expectation for providing extra time for students. That policy should be consistent for all students and clearly articulated to them. Because of the nature of online students and their needs, I would recommend being flexible with students that need a little extra time to complete assignments.
Herbert Brown III
How do assist the on line learner who needs extra time?
If an online student does not respond to an instructor’s offers to help, the instructor may use other means of reaching out to the student. The instructor could send personal emails expressing his/her concerns; contact the student’s advisor; post reminders of the available resources; or send a personal invitation to the student to attend a one-to-one chat session during which the instructor will be available as a resource, but not to discuss the student’s personal issues. However, instructors should not get caught in actions of inequity, but ensure the same opportunities are available to all students.
-Ruth-
Herbert,
If an online student does not respond to my offer to help,there is a lot that I can do.
I have the option to contact his advisor. If there is no such a function, I will go back to him/her and try to understand the reason of the student's behavior. It can be personal problems such work, family, etc... I will offer the student a way to catch up.
The bottom line is that since these courses are usually not free and students need to find ways to take them.
I agree with the statement. I used email for one-on-one discussions and major announcements. Students were notified in advance of the course that they could contact me at any time via email. Assignments were posted on the welcome page of the site two to three days prior to their due date. When students completed assignments, they received feedback via email or within their personal profiles if they submitted work within the course site. Within the discussion forum section, I responded to every posting by students. From my perspective, I believed that each student received equal communication from me. I felt that my presence in the course was equally distributed among the students.
Ironically, the strategies I used to ensure communication with students did not offer them the feedback they needed to feel good about their performance nor did they provide students with the adequate notice they needed to plan for participation. I was so sure of my efforts to provide consistent communication and feedback that I did not question myself when a student emailed to ask “How am I doing in the course?†I replied with a simple “Great!â€
By contrast, the course established clear guidelines for communication and feedback prior to the course, during the course, and even following the course. The pre-course email was followed by an email two days prior, and then one on the morning of the course. Once “inside†the course, ongoing communication about assignments and technical issues was made available using topical discussion threads.
Having separate spaces for communication about particular types of issues made the student feel comfortable about the support the instructor gave. It also made it possible for the instructor to maintain a certain presence in the course while satisfying the needs of the students. From an instructor’s perspective, it is an effective technique for organizing discussion feedback in an area which remains available for all students throughout the duration of the course.
I disagree with the statement.
Preparing students for online learning requires more planning on the part of the instructor than is normally seen in the traditional classroom. To prevent drop-outs and drop-ins, most students might benefit from a little assistance in deciding if online learning is right for them. In my work, I have heard many educators claim that they would not be good online students because they are not very technologically proficient. Others claim the converse by touting their ability to surf the Net with the no road blocks.
The myth that technological savvy is the contributing factor to student success is slowly being corrected. Two of my students were technology facilitators in a school system known for its wonderful use of technology. Their role was to teach teachers how to use technology. We all discovered that their strengths did not help them complete assignments in a timely manner, budget their time, nor help them to collaborate effectively with their classmates. Being able to navigate the courseware is not enough. Paloff and Pratt offer excellent suggestions for enhancing student participation in the course:
1.Be clear about how much time the course will require of students and faculty in order to eliminate potential misunderstandings about course demands.
2.Teach students about online learning
3.As the instructor, be a model of good participation by logging on frequently and contributing to the discussion.
4.Be willing to step in and set limits if participation wanes or if the conversation is headed in the wrong direction.
5.Remember that there are people attached to the words on the screen. Be willing to contact students who are not participating and invite them in.
6.Create a warm and inviting atmosphere that promotes the development of a sense of community among the participants.
