Get Your Students Hired
Yes it puts a person behind the curtain so to speak. It enables me to better ease student concerns.
Louis,
This upfront, human approach has been demonstrated as most successful in many instances. Do you find a great deal of success with it?
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
This happens to many students who are taking their first on line course. They are overwellmed by the amount of work they have to do an dthe time they have to do it.
In this case I would contact the student and discuss one to one either by phone or email and discuss with them the time management strategies that would increase their success rate. Also reinforce to the student that I am available to help point them in the right direction if they feel they keep getting lost in the course.
Cecelia,
Very good response plan. The individualized attention with useful tips can make all the difference for students in this frame of mind. Making sure the student is aware of your availability for one-to-one discussions can be powerful for many learners.
It seems as if the learner isfeeling very, very overwhelmed by the course. I would email him/her and, in apositive tone, encourage him/her to stick with the course. I would offer some time management tips as well as make sure the student is aware of the virtual office hours for this course. In addition I would let the student know that I am available for one-on-one assistance via the virtual office hours.
John,
Your post is very insightful. Nice analysis. The course of action you propose for each is solid, especially the individual contact to dialogue and listen to the student's additional difficulties. These external difficulties (in my experience) are often the 'straws' overburdening the student's ability to adquately pursue the learning. Nice job.
I see 3 problems that need to be addressed privately with the Learner 1.
Problem A - Learner 1 is not understanding the material and is frustrated by that. They have reached the point where they are just trying to jump through the hoops instead of learning and understanding the concepts. As the instructor you should follow-up with the student to try and figure out what they need. Try to find out if the student is missing any pre-requisite knowledge.
Problem B - Learner 1 is comparing himself to other students which is usually unhealthy. It draws the focus away from learning the material and can lead to depression or egotism depending on the capabilities of the student. In this case, contact the student privately and provide some encouragement. Take opportunity to remind him that others capabilities are irrelevant to their learning and that no one expects that all students will perform the same.
Problem C - Learner 1 is considering withdrawing from the program. Again contacting the student privately is the best approach. You may want to find out if there are other things outside of the course itself that are affecting the student's ability to focus. Help the student find support resources in and out of the institution as needed.
Terry,
Antonio does have a strong approach. Your comment allowing students to know you can empathize with them is a solid way to help them, also. Can you think of any additional insights?
I agree with Antonio's method 100%. It is especially good to let the students know that even successful people in thier industry had hard times when in school. It shows them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Donna,
Great analysis and intervention for the learner. Encouragement and directing student focus are two very powerful tools for the classroom facilitator to use. Nice going!
First of all, Learner #1 is expressing a lack of confidence as well as feeling overwhelmed and confused by his/her decision to complete the program. These are common feelings among many learners who feel the challenge of completing a program to reach their goals and keeping up with all the other committments in their lives. I would contact the student, privately, as not be embarrass or shame the student, and try and find out exactly why the student is feeling this lack of confidence. Then I would motivate the student and pride him/her on their accomplishments thus far and focus on the positive. Sometimes we let the negative in when we feel overwhelmed and I would council the student on staying focused on their goals as well as congratulating him/her on their achivements.
Hi Mohan,
All of these indicated outreach efforts are good, and I know they (in many different combinations) have helped multitudes of students get back on track. I have found the 'schedule' discussion to be the most helpful over the years. Using these strategies in combination can make a difference to many (not all) of our adult learners. Good post - thanks.
Hi Dr. Vaillancourt
It looks like the Learner1 lost the self- confidence and got frustrated with his/her grades.The facilitator can send an email to that particular student to know about his/her situation(job, study hours etc.,). Assist the student to develop a plan that should work for his/her schedule. Make the student's advisor aware of his/her situation. Encourage the student to complete the make-up assignments (if any). Motivate the student to be focused. Send emails at least once in a week that you are monitoring his/her progress and influence the student to be on track. This will make a difference.
Antonio,
Excellent guidance for your students! It's like the old riddle/proverb (How do you eat an elephant?-One bite at a time.) Getting them to believe it's doable is a big step for some of them. Helping them get the big "P" (procrastination) out of their academic way can often open a whole new way of life for some. Great academic advising on your part.