Online learning requires an additional set of skills to be successful. Not only do students need to be self-motivated and be able to manage time, but they also require the ability to learn and use new technologies. The assumptions are : students are digital natives who will naturally adapt to the online environment and usage of educational technology without much instruction; and the other required "soft skills" (time management, professional communication, etc.) of online learning are an imbued part of adulthood. In reality, students in online courses often need specific training on the LMS and other educational technology and need to be forewarned of the expectations that will promote their own success.
This led us to question if some of these stumbling blocks couldn't be addressed before the student took an online course, much in the same way a first-year experience or freshman orientation addresses some of the issues in transitioning from high school to college. From there, we designed an online course orientation provided to all students enrolled in an online course that included short segments about how to succeed, student expectations (professionalism, team work, etc.), and training videos on the various technology tools students might encounter within the university LMS.
Our goal was to determine if this could provide a low-cost effective way to mitigate some of the gaps and, ultimately, help retain and graduate online students.
Please see the attached videos for more information.
The Online Course Orientation has short informational segments about expectations and technology. Some include videos, interactive screenshots, or other digital mediums. The Orientation was created on the university LMS (Blackboard). The sections of the orientation are as follows:
Students enrolled in online classes are automatically also enrolled in the Online Course Orientation and remain enrolled for the duration of their online course. The orientation is presented in short steps, requiring the students to click "Mark Reviewed" to move on. It was designed this way so as not to overwhelm the students, thereby diminishing the likelihood that they would participate in it from the beginning. The technology tool categories are available at all times, however, so that students can visit those areas to learn or refresh on a technology (ex. VoiceThread) that is being used in their online course.
Video Overview of the Online Course Orientation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPOoWHuZSxQ
The Online Course orientation has been access by 6712 out of 9040 students (74%) and the average time spent per user is 1.87 hours. The total hours spent by students in the orientation is 12558.73 (as of 7/15/14).
As a better measure of effectiveness, there is a short, 4-question survey at the end of the orientation with the following questions:
The results of the survey have been excellent. There have been 537 respondents to the survey so far, and of those, 93% said they would recommend the online course orientation to other students.
Additionally, many faculty have been pleased that they can redirect some student questions about technology to the Online Course Orientation instead of trying to answer them individually.
Learning Effectiveness: The Online Course Orientation(OCO) prepares students for how taking a course in an online format might require different skills and pre-constructed knowledge than a traditional course, thus providing more time for them to set up scaffolds to be successful (set up a calendar, review professional communication habits, self-reflect on past team experiences). Additionally, the technology portion "primes the pump" for the types of tools they may encounter and because the tutorials are always available, faculty can direct students to revisit the training for a tool(s) that might be used in their course.
Scale: The OCO is built in the Learning Management System already used at the university. Students are automatically enrolled (by a programming script) and the course has no limit to the number of seats. It also requires little maintenance from year to year.
LMS - free if enterprise at university Computer - cost varies Screenrecording software (Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia, Kaltura, Panopto, etc.) - free to $99 depending on product used or if enterprise solution is available at university ThingLink (image annotation software) - free USB headset microphone - $40 Image editor - free options available
--Time of salaried employee to create orientation --Computer (assumed to be provided to employee --$150-$500 in technology hardware/software to create effective screen recording
Angelino, L. M., Williams, F. K., & Natvig, D. (2007). Strategies to Engage Online Students and Reduce Attrition Rates. Journal of Educators Online, 4(2), n2.
Harrell, I. L. (2008). Increasing the Success of Online Students. Inquiry, 13(1), 36-44.
Lloyd, S. A., Byrne, M. M., & McCoy, T. S. (2012). Faculty-perceived barriers of online education. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8(1).
Ludwig-hardman, S., & Dunlap, J. (2003). Learner Support Services for Online Students: Scaffolding for success. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 4(1). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/131
Roper, A. R. (2007). How students develop online learning skills. Educause Quarterly, 30(1), 62.
Wilson, M. (2008). An investigation into the perceptions of first-time online undergraduate learners on orientation events. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 4(1), 73-83.
