One of the driving forces behind the rise in hybrid and online courses is student demand. The numbers do not lie: there has been a steady increase in the numbers of students preferring to take online courses year after year and using technology in their own ways (Allen & Seaman, 2014; Educause, 2013). Why are more students taking blended and online courses? The convenience of anytime, anywhere learning, which is especially attractive for students who are faced with financial and scheduling constraints.
According to the American Student Assistance Organization (2012), a college degree is becoming so costly for some that either they are incurring between an average debt of $26,000 with a 5% increase per year, or individuals are choosing to delay their education because they cannot afford it. Rose (2012) points out that non-traditional students are becoming the new majority in undergraduate programs. These students are not able to attend full time due to their busy personal, work and class schedules and seek options that allow for flexible scheduling. A recent Forbes article also highlighted that
…today’s typical student is no longer an 18 to 24 year old studying full-time on a campus. In fact, there is data which shows that fewer than 20% of the roughly 20 million now enrolled fit this traditional description. The rest are “post-traditional” students who are older, working part-time, and often commuting, either by car or, increasingly, the Internet.
Although more students are pulled in by the convenience offered by hybrid and online courses, many are still unaware what taking a mostly- to fully-online course means for them. When a course has asynchronous instructional materials and technology-intensive activities, students need to know how to use the tools that are built into this type of course. As mentioned in a previous blog post, learners today may be digital natives, but in mostly to fully online learning environments, they need more guidance to get them started.
Students in technology-intensive courses should have an ease of use experience when they are completing their coursework. But how do instructors get their students ready? How do instructors prepare their students for how they will interact with content, classmates, instructors and other services and resources? How do instructors help students make the necessary connections they need to be successful?
Due to the nature of hybrid, distance, and online courses that typically do not require as many weekly meetings as brick-and-mortar classroom courses, students are expected to stay on track and pace themselves. Students need to be familiarized with what an independent learning environment means for them. Courses with asynchronous requirements require students to navigate the technology on their own. Students also need to be made to feel comfortable with interacting with classmates and instructors asynchronously and synchronously. So, how will students know if they are ready to take their hybrid, distance or online course?
Blog. Program coordinators and course instructors should consider a blog that enables interested and future students to get basic course and program information, thus saving e-mail and in-person time during pre-registration.
Here is an example of a blog dedicated to our Spanish & Portuguese hybrid language courses at Ohio State.
http://sppoindividualized.wordpress.com
Welcome Email. Send out a welcome e-mail for a mostly to entirely online course before the start of the semester. The welcome letter not only introduces the course instructor, but encourages students to contact and interact with the instructor or coordinator early on if they have any questions.
Informational Emails. Before the start of an academic term, some suggested e-mails to students can be about …
- required materials
- orientation
- what to expect the first week
- projects that need extra planning (i.e. interview with a native speaker)
Orientation. E-learning students should be able to use the learning management system, access required course materials, and be familiar with the technology and webconferencing options they have. Good student training must address not only their abilities with technology but also their time management and study skills. Since it is impossible to screen everyone’s previous experience when they enroll in hybrid, distance or online classes, readiness activities such as questionnaires and self-quizzes will help students evaluate their own preparedness for technology-intensive or online learning.
Online Student Readiness. There are numerous examples of online student readiness quizzes and self-help resources, however, many of them are very basic, and programs or instructors should consider creating a quiz with automated feedback or readiness exercises customized to their program or course to best prepare their students.
Example Readiness Quiz:
Source: Penn State University
https://esurvey.tlt.psu.edu/Survey.aspx?s=246aa3a5c4b64bb386543eab834f8e75
Example Student Guide to Online Education:
Source: Approved Colleges
http://www.approvedcolleges.com/resources/online-education/student-guide-to-online-education
Practice Modules. Practice, ungraded, online orientation modules should simulate what students will be doing during the actual course.
- Have students complete (an) online…
- checklist activity and have students confirm they have acquired required course materials
- course readiness quiz, which helps students gauge how prepared they are to take the course
- student information sheet
- orientation videos and tutorials
- orientation quizzes
- discussion board question
- course plan / personal deadline plan
- course contract checklist and e-signature that has the student acknowledge they understand the course requirements and policies
- orientation survey, which inquires which resources were most helpful and what improvements to make
First Meeting. In addition to an online orientation, it may be a good idea in hybrid, distance and online courses that require more self-pacing to include synchronous in-person or webcam planning meetings before students are able to begin their regular coursework and meetings with instructors. To encourage planning ahead, during online orientation have students submit a personal deadline proposal that not only outlines the main course deadlines (i.e. exam dates), but also when they plan to complete all course assignments and meetings leading up to evaluations. During a planning meeting, the instructor reviews a student’s plan and checks it against the deadlines and academic calendars, instructor schedule, and other university service center hours of operation. During the meeting, the instructor also is able to get to know each student better, and is able to ask about their other personal, work and class schedules to determine if their plan is realistic based on their individual situation.
_________
Thanks to Dr. Jan Macián for her research on student debt, and contributing to this portion of the blog post. Dr. Macián is the former language program director (retired) at Ohio State’s Department of Spanish & Portuguese.
_________
SOURCES
Please excuse inconsistencies with citation formats – Currently under revision.
Allen & Seaman (2013). Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the U.S. Babson Survey Research Group & Quahog Research Group, LLC, 22.
UPDATE: Allen & Seaman (2014). Grade Change: Tracking Online Education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group Quahog Research Group, LLC, 16. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/grade-change-2013?org=477&lvl=100&ite=3050&lea=132574&ctr=0&par=1
American Student Assistance Organization (2012). “How much do Americans borrow/have borrowed for college?” Retrieved from: http://www.asa.org/policy/resources/stats/
Ebersole, John (2014). “Top Issues Facing Higher Education in 2014.” Forbes. January 13, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnebersole/2014/01/13/top-issues-facing-higher-education-in-2014/
Educause (2013). ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2013, 15 Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERS1302/ERS1302.pdf
Edudemic (2013). “Measuring the Information Society.” Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MIS2013_infographics_3.jpg
Rose, Mike (2012). Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education.
