Fifth Week

Strategies for Student Success
This week we discussed key elements instructors need to include in an online course's orientation and at the beginning of the course to help the students be successful. The instructor needs to set all the groundwork in place. Students must understand what is expected of them very clearly, and if they don't, they need to ask questions.

Procedures and policies need to be reviewed, and students need to be familiarized with the vocabulary and lingo of this learning environment. During the orientation process, students should be given a syllabus, and they should review it and make any inquiries at that time. The communication piece is crucial during the initial stages because if the student feels unconnected like they have no social presence anxiety will set in and they will give up.

The student needs to be a self motivated and determined learner. I don't feel this environment is conducive to all learners, but one way an instructor can assist a non-motivated learner is by setting up a calendar so the student can monitor their progress. The learner must also be organized, and they should be methodical and map out a course of action. This can be done by chunking assignments so they are not looking at the course as a whole.

For students with low level computer skills, there must be a training session at the beginning, and there needs to be technology support. We learned earlier the more we become familiar with our environment the more we will participate which will increase our social presence. This is important because it keeps the student from feeling lost and alone. Instructors can improve this feeling of uneasiness by providing the student with feedback and a relatively quick turnaround time.

Another thing that is crucial to the success of a student is addressing technology issues. These should be addressed in the course description before a student even signs up. They should include all aspects of the students technology needs. Including the software requirements needed, the hardware needed, and any settings they may need to change.


Don Bates