All Students Phase 3

Phase 3 What do online students need beyond Week 2 and for the remainder of the semester?

  • Critical institution wide deadlines
  • How to participate in college activities
  • How to find and utilize college resources for academic, financial, & personal support

**What else do online students need to know beside what is listed above?

  • PLAN for Success (Student Inventory ) What has been working so far? What is not working? I presently use this (hard copy) with students. It is a check list so they can identify what they are presently doing-or not, like notetakers, tutors, math lab, using a planner, priority system, etc. and identify what services, skills or resources they need.

*Online Study Group

  • Body and Mind Assessment- Identifying stressors, time management, procrastination, prioritization techniques, fitness for eye strain, wrist –carpal tunnel, back health,etc.
  • Notification of planned technology outages and any other information that would affect their online experience.
  • Non-critical institution data such as campus (faculty/staff) holidays. The information might not be necessary for their online experience but it might prove useful in the event someone can't figure out why nobody is available on a certain day.
  • Where the registration desk is and how to add/drop classes
  • Reinforce the benefits of using support services - not just information about how to locate them
  • Are there any activities geared towards older non-traditional students?
  • Where does an online student find resources having to do with academic, financial and personal support?
  • Is the advisor for the student readily available to answer questions and does s/he have training in dealing with multi-generational students?
  • Grade reports and GPA/how to find all their information online
  • Requirements for graduation with honors
  • How participating in college activities can affect their college experience
  • How to utilize and find the college calendar - events and academic
  • How to best take exams online or study skills for online courses
  • Networking options through student clubs, blogs, social networking websites etc
  • Opportunities to build leadership skills
  • How to access tutoring or support groups (if applicable)
  • Course selection /advising for the next semester/transfer planning/developing an educational plan/degree requirements
  • What add/drop and withdraw mean, and whether it is right for them based on their progress in the course
  • How to coordinate with the professor receiving an accommodation such as extended time on the online exam

Who will assume responsibility for delivering these services?
*Learning Center or Center for Academic Advisement
*Health and Wellness Center
*Lead personnel for online labs, tutors, or other "staffed" resources
*Website management for general dates, holidays, and schedules
*IT for any scheduled technical outages
*The information is on the college website, but it would be helpful if course instructor would point their students to pertinent information
*Counseling department - online students should be invited to create an educational plan with their advisor/counselor before the next registration cycle
*Academic Affairs and or Student Affairs, ideally the entire intitution is responsible
*Student Services in conjunction with Recruitment and Retention Office
*IT or Blackboard Coordinator type in collaboration with Student and Academic Affairs
*Instructor
*Student Affairs provides information about student activities

What is the best delivery method for these services?
*Online inventories could be submitted and appropriate resource links would follow in the response.
*Study buddy groups could use skype or a chat room. If an instructor uses a study guide questions could be posted in advance to stimulate discussion.
*Body and Mind- Tutorials using video clips that demonstrate and offer health and wellness tips.
*For notifications of dates and date-related reminders, a multiple-tool approach might be best: website, push notification to email/phone text/Twitter, etc.
*For some schedule-related items (such as tutor hours), an interceding splash notification upon entering an online resource could be appropriate.
*Only available in person at this time
*Online delivery would be optimal, if not, on campus with convenient hours for working adults
*Online grade book (through their online course or university system where students have access to all their information in one place
*Online methods are best - blogs, emails and online announcements
*Email, course website postings, college portal system, active Blackboard support website with various tips or links to information
*Perhaps an online module or info page designated specifically for online courses/learners.

How to these resources contribute on online succcess?
Self-assessment would increase awareness and lead to self-advocacy and information about opportunities. Many times there are links to resources, BUT the student has not yet identified or recognized that he/she needs the service.

Collaborative studying would enrich course material and provide a sense of community.

Health and wellness issues have a strong influence on overall performance and well being.

Updated information keeps the level of unexpected surprise to a minimum; a student that always feels informed is often more willing to tolerate minor interruptions such as outages or staffing changes.

Knowing where to go for help and why they should seek help will keep students focused and help them do better before they fail.

Having quick access to an online advisor encourages students to ask questions throughout their time at the institution.

It gives the student all the information needed to succeed. From initial enrollment in a course to helping with issues having to do with a personal or academic nature.

The more engaged students are overall in the college, the more likely they are to succeed and stay with the institution. The items listed above allow the student to hopefully become embedded in the college, causing them to be attached and ultimately, stick with the institution - reaping more than "just" and education from the institution.

Engagement is tricky for online students as the on campus model does not fit easily. But online students need to feel connected to the campus community to have success and persist through college. They need to feel that they are not 2nd class students just because they are online vs those in person. Online social networking thru blogs, Facebook or others keeps students connected and apart of the larger community so are more likely to stay engaged…one would hope.

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