Elearning struggles with high drop out rates. The concept of anytime/anywhere
learning often becomes never/nowhere. As many corporations and schools have
discovered, the online medium, while still dealing with issues similar to
classrooms, faces unacceptable rates of drop outs and failures.
In
order to improve student completion rates, organizations have several options:
(a) Design better learning resources,
(b) Improve teacher's/facilitator's
skills,
(c) Improve student's capacity to learn through preparation for online
learning.
This
article focuses on the final point: preparing students for elearning. It is
important to note, however, that many of the skills and habits listed here are
applicable to any classroom. The divide between classrooms and online is
sometimes artificial, and no where is this more true than in student
preparation.
- Environment -- students need a certain environment (PC,
connection, software) and some preparation needs to be done to make sure that
the student has that.
- Tech skills -- students need to know something about how to use
whatever learning system exists. there has to be a way to impart this
knowledge.
- Subject matter skills -- students need to have some pre-requisite
knowledge in the discipline to take the course.
- Study skills -- students need to have the discipline and learning
skills to benefit from the course.
- Support -- when students run into problems with any of these there
has to be a mechanism to a) find out and b) help them through it.
- Content - designed for interaction - to keep students engaged
-page clicking won't necessarily motivate students
- Learner - Disciplined, motivated to learn, has a need for
learning, self-directed
- Instructor - aware of students needs/concerns and involvement
levels, attempts to draw students in to discussions early, organized schedule,
provides resources for learners in need of additional learning (remedial)
- Technology - should play a servant role. Tools should be selected
that involve learners and help them to connect with each
other/content/instructor. For example chat, discussion questions, voice over IP
are useful for connecting students and can be seen as student-centered
technologies
- Organization - focused on learning, time and resources made
available, learners supported (through help desks etc.)
Many
of these areas are outside of the instructors influence, but still need to be
considered or if an area is weak (i.e. limited organizational support), other
areas may have to play a more prominent role to ensure learners are prepared
and succeed.
Transitional
support is critical for classroom to online shifts. Instructors need to provide
a transition process. Students expect similar levels of support and direction
(as they have in classrooms), and suddenly find themselves in an exploratory
environment - a disorienting experience. (Is this a reason for the high drop
out rates we have in elearning?) For example, one participant stated, ‘I
currently have a group of students, and during a recent feedback request, the
responses were heavily centered on "I need an instructor to tell me what
to do/think/know". Usually, with most courses I've taught online, the
number one concern relates to the changed role of the instructor in relation to
student activity - e.g. - the instructor allows students to explore
content...rather than giving the answer.’ This is not an issue only in online environments
- anyone who takes a similar approach (exploratory learning) in a classroom has
the same student responses.
In a classroom, however, an instructor can still
give the answers when students are frustrated with the ambiguity of
exploration. Learning online, on the other hand, forces students to explore -
putting them at the center of the learning experience.
I
should expand my statement in a classroom, during a lecture session students
can ask and receive clarification immediately. This obviously isn't the only
time learning happens, after all, much of the students time is spent reviewing
notes and reading texts outside of the classroom lecture. If classroom students
have questions outside of the lecture, they actually have less access to an instructor
than do online learners (unless the instructor has an email/discussion forum or
chat sessions scheduled).
Online,
students do not receive information in lecture format. Information is acquired
through exploration, so an instructor is often not present at the time the
question arises. As such the student may have to contact the instructor via email to have
questions answered - which is not as rapid as asking an instructor a question
during a lecture.
Students
online can still receive answers to "ambiguity of exploration", but
there may be a time delay versus a student in a classroom lecture (though, as
stated above - the time in lecture is a small part of the classroom learning
process - students online actually have greater access to instructors the rest
of the time).
Preparing Students for Elearning
The type of learning, formal or informal, impacts student preparation. Often,
formal elearning (online course) tend to create preparation resources that help
students to "take a course" (versus learning). This may perpetuate
continued dependence on the instructor or course as the "source" of
knowledge. Informal learning is learning that occurs independently and often
without direction. Few resources are available to prepare for this type of
learning.
The instructor should realize and account for the student experience...ways to
address it: offering simple assessments on computer skills
needed...introductions at the start of a course (let students post pictures -
make it personal), offer links to student resources (including remedial),
provide clear schedules, have scheduled instant messaging/chat times, etc.
Student's learning styles will obviously impact their success online. Students
may benefit from understanding their own learning style by completing and
online questionnaire.
Successful preparation for online learning is not significantly different from
classroom preparation. As with any new concept, however, it is important for an
instructor to communicate how existing practices integrate with a new concept
(in this case, learning online).
Consider
the following,
(a) Amount of time to be
devoted (usually 10-15 hours per week),
(b) Degree of interaction required (and
tools used),
(c) Emphasis on self-motivation,
(d) The use of an instructor (and
therefore preparation related to that),
(e) Entrance Requirements,
(f) A
'classroom',
(g)Time-dependency
These
may be accurate requirements (and important information) for learning online,
but the emphasis is not explicitly on learning - it is how to function
effectively according to the manner in which the course is designed. Informal
learning (like listservs, Internet searches, or even this
"noncourse") have few restrictions and allow learners to perform at
their own level of need.
Regardless
of the formality of online learning, basic computer and Internet skill, decent
connection are a must. These are, however, foundational skills that must be
developed in students before learning can occur. They may not be included in
every course, but remedial resources should always be listed to direct students
to additional help.
Student
preparation is not exclusively the responsibility of the instructor. One of the
defining traits of online learning is the increased independence of learners.
Online students can contribute to successful learning/preparation through the
following:
(a) Awareness - evaluate expectations, assess time needed to
complete work, understand motivations/value of the learning, assess personal
skills -technical and study skills,
(b) Orientation - online, a student goes
through several stages before engaging the content - the computer, internet,
the virtual classroom, software, instructor and students, and finally the
content. Different students will enter a course at different levels of
preparedness...but in online courses, and instructor should be able to
accommodate a student at any level,
(c) Disciplined - follow course schedule
and complete assignments,
(d) Organized - schedule study time and online time
to ensure all course obligations are met, (e) Self-directed - able to motivate
her/himself...ask for help when needed, etc., (f) Internal or externally
motivated (ie, some requirement or just because it's something that really interests
them).
Additional
instructor roles are
(a) Establish rapport with students - make them feel at
ease and encourage them to participate,
(b) Communicate constantly - regular
emails, active involvement in discussion forums (but still allow private
student-only forums),
(c) Flexibility - often online learners are adults who
have varying time constraints - expect it and accept it,
(d) The instructor is
the creator and curator of the online environment - levels of respect, concern
for learning, etc. are all set by the instructor. An attitude that accepts
failure as critical to learning is needed
It
obviously helps the process if the instructor has taken an online course and
knows the frustrations and headaches.
High
online dropouts can be (partially) addressed through solid student-centered
course design, student preparation (i.e. bringing to the student's consciousness
the reality of the online experience), clearly communicated expectations (i.e.
instructors), and active instructor involvement in drawing students into
discussions.
Students
have different learning styles--characteristic strengths and preferences in the
ways they take in and process information. Some students tend to focus on
facts, data, and algorithms; others are more comfortable with theories and
mathematical models. Some respond strongly to visual forms of information, like
pictures, diagrams, and schematics; others get more from verbal forms--written
and spoken explanations. Some prefer to learn actively and interactively;
others function more introspectively and individually...A learning style model
is useful if balancing instruction on each of the model dimensions meets the
learning needs of essentially all students in a class."
Tasks to Complete Before Course Start
If this is the first course
you've taught online (in this environment), this is what you should do,
(a)
Identify tech support available,
(b) Take an online course as a student,
(c)
Familiarize yourself with the tools and support available
If this is the first time you've
taught this course online,
(a) Pilot the course - with
colleagues and potential students,
(b) Prepare a "back up plan" for
technology/server failure
If you are assembling (some of)
the elements of an online course that you or others
are going to teach,
(a) Pilot the course - with colleagues and potential
students,
(b) Back up the course content,
(c) Prepare or determine support
mechanisms for students and instructors,
(d) Ensure workload and assignments
are reasonable, but challenging,
(e) Verify that copyright/IP concerns have
been addressed
Things you have to do for every
course even if none of the above apply,
(a) Prepare
learners - send out welcome emails,
(b) Test links,
(c) Test assumptions about
student readiness and technology access (i.e. are some students on 56k? if so,
how will video work? or even complex activities?),
(d) Plan a course initiation
activity - phone conference, chat, in person...this activity should focus on
connecting students with each other...and create a degree of comfort
High
dropout rates are not a function of the online learning environment - they are
a function of poor course design, lack of instructor familiarity of the
environment, and learner preparation. Preparing learners to learn online is
perhaps the greatest skill that we can offer. In an era of "lifelong learning",
skills for acquiring knowledge play a greater role in success than do knowledge
concepts (as they often cycle to obsolescence).
