Support Your Students

Students who are new to online learning may find this transition especially challenging but you can help them simply by giving the supports we have been highlighting throughout this course-- be human, be present, and be flexible!

How to Help Struggling Students Succeed Online Links to an external site. stresses being proactive, just as you would be in your onground course.  If you see a student struggling, reach out to them directly, be authentic in your interactions, offer them options if you can.

Educause's Online Learning Links to an external site. provides invaluable resources for students who experience internet access issues while away from campus.

 

You can enable your students to be successful and have meaningful experiences by ensuring they understand how the course works. Give them guidance whenever you can and encourage them to be self-directed and to take ownership of their learning.

From Teaching Strategies Links to an external site.:

• Instructor screencasts: provide screencast overview of the organization of the course. If you introduce something new, create a short tutorial to make sure they understand how to do what you expect of them.
  
  
• Give them context: explain the purpose and relevance of major tasks. This create greater understanding and student buy in.
  
  
• Student Ownership: whenever you can, give students choice. This encourages them to take ownership of their learning  by selecting topics that are personally relevant or interesting to them.
  
  
• Course Feedback: provide regular opportunities for students to provide feedback. This can help you understand better where students need support and build that into future weeks or modules-- or future runs of the course!

The best way to support your students when you teach remotely is to Be Present--just as you do when teaching face-to-face. If you never showed up in the classroom what would happen?  Be there, online, with clear expectations, an organized Canvas course, and your perspective set to humane. See what students need, in their own words, when they find themselves unexpectedly online What (Some) Students Are Saying about the Switch to Remote Teaching and Learning Links to an external site.

 

Support your students before your class begins--in Week Zero--by providing a bird's eye view of your course.  An overview of the course in student centric language (versus syllabus speak) will ground your students before you move into full gear. Starting on the right foot is starting right.

Here is Instructor Hank Johnson orienting students to a Finance course through a screencast. In less than 3 minutes he explains how the course will be taught, the rhythm it will have, what students can expect to take away at the end and how to get help and not stay stuck throughout.  The screencast has the added value of establishing a welcoming instructor presence along with the course overview.  It was accompanied by a written overview describing the 3 major course components. This was shared with students the week before the term giving them a high level map to navigate by as they started in Week One.

 

...The goal is for you to obtain a working knowledge of banking, financial statements, and capital budgeting. What is meant by working knowledge? Here at NEIT we want you to be able to apply these basic course principles in your professional setting. With that in mind, what better way to facilitate this type of applied learning than to make the entire course a company and you it's brand new hire. 

...We hope to bring theory to life, allowing you to practice and hone real world skills in a safe way.  You are expected to integrate and apply financial concepts as if you are at work within the walls of a company called TreveX. ...

Each week will unfold much like a day at the office...incoming email, voicemail, your day planner --which we have dubbed "My Week"--with team meetings and your own personal To Do list.