I have created grammar guides and powerpoints that pertain to the course.
It sounds like many of us have found that students struggle with APA and have created templates in response. I have done the same. I can practically hear my students groan at the mention of APA, and I've found that offering them templates helps them see that APA isn't really as bad or mystifying as it seems.
I've also made a number of videos to help students become better acquainted with the online classroom. Sometimes hearing a teacher's voice and seeing someone navigate the classroom helps them feel more confident. The videos also seem far more effective than the written instructions that I used to give.
Barry,
Providing sample documents is helpful for students. If it's a paper, I usually give a template and show them a sample "B" grade paper and tell them they have to do more if they expect an "A." Of course, the rubric lays out the expectations well. Thanks!
With each class I have an electronic set of documents, a sample forum for form and the quality content expected, a sample paper for form and the expected length and complexity, APA sample sheets, worksheets to improve word processing skills, a sheet of grammar editors free on the internet, topic outlines of each chapter and the lot.
It's exhausting, especially when most students ignore them and keep making the same mistake over and over and over... but they that is what communication is for... and eventually you can even get through to the hard headed ones.
Rafael,
FAQs can eliminate so many emails from students. You going from a 20 page document to a 3 page FAQ is fantastic!
A basic FAQ on logging in to the LMS became necessary at one of the institutions for which I taught. The FAQ had to be simple enough to lead every online student through the steps, but also detailed enough to make certain students completed the log in process successfully. The FAQ that had previously been circulated was a 20 page manual. By cutting out the minutia and unnecessary jargon, I managed to get the FAQ down to three pages. It served its purpose as a basic log in guide, and that left me with an opportunity to answer more detailed questions on other FAQ posts.
Victoria,
Thanks for these resources/tips. Others reading these posts will have more ideas about what they can do with their classes as well. Thanks!
I have created a number of "scaffolds" that not only help students monitor their progress but to help orient them to the online classroom. For example:
- Checklists/Suggested Study Plans
- Rubrics
- Video tutorials
- Citation Resources
- Writing Guides
- Guided Notes
- Content PPT's created around VARK learning styles
samia,
Thanks for connecting to Donna's post. APA style formatting is difficult for students and I'm sure your template is helpful.
samia,
Guides, quick videos, and other resources can help students tremendously. As students all learn differently, they appreciate different types of resources. Thanks for the input.
Donna, I enjoyed reading your post; I appreciated your final sentence " I like to use the feedback from students as an indication of what types of resources will be helpful".
I have found that in creating an APA formatted template and having it available to all learner to be of great value and a tool which lessens learner frustration with the many pages of the APA manual.
I have tended to use different technology support venues for my students. These include a unit by unit guide, an archived live chat recording, and a posted power point presentation of the unit and the requirements/expectations. I have found these plus daily announcements re overview, discussion board, and review of each unit to be very helpful as well.
Marco,
Yes, there are some good resources for APA style such as the one from Purdue University: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Hope it's helpful. Nice job.
Kimberly,
APA format is hard for many students. The guidelines, I'm sure, help them tremendously. Any time we can help students understand plagiarism is also important. Nice job.
I have also helped them with APA as this becomes a major source of frustration. One thing that even found was how Word (Microsoft word) has a template that can be used as a boiler plate for setting all papers in APA. this has enhanced the student experience.
I like to provide my students with a guideline that shows them how to write a research paper using APA format style. I also try to send out information on plagiarism at the beginning of class so there's no confusion about what it is and what is expected of them.
Renee,
You are providing an additional resource that gives students another way to see the information. Good job. Do you use voice over PowerPoint? Just wondering.
I teach medical coding classes ad have found that if I develop power point presentations for topics that are causing students confusion it is very helpful In addition, I try to include examples and show the student HOW to take the topic and use it correctly. R. Waters
robert,
Anything we can provide to students to help alleviate questions, the better. It saves us all time. I love the checklist idea. Thanks!
There are several support documents I have created for my online classes. Frequently asked questions compiled from frequent emails, answer majority of questions a new student entering my class may have. Also I have included detailed checklist for each of the assignments with additional hints and tips.
