2024 (Spring) — DEMO101: Introduction to eLearnReady
Student Survey: https://app.elearnready.com/s/?sid=demo
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Nine Dimensions in Student’s eLearnReady Profile
Dimension 1: Self-Motivation
This dimension assesses a student’s intrinsic motivation to engage and succeed in a course, including their willingness to participate in all aspects of the course, take responsibility for their own learning, find the subject matter interesting and valuable, and see its relevance to their future careers. Motivation is crucial in both traditional and online learning. Online courses create a learner-directed environment where students must actively create their learning experiences. Understanding course demands can motivate students by clarifying what they need to achieve (Perez-Cereijo, 2006), helping them stay focused on the end result.
Effective Techniques to Enhance Student Motivation
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Detailed Task List and Time Management Guidance:
- Provide students with a detailed and dated task list of all required readings, activities, assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. Encourage them to use it as a weekly checklist.
- Give students an idea of how much time they will need to set aside each week to be successful in the class.
- Through weekly announcements, remind students of what is due that week, reflect on what was due last week, and provide an opportunity and encourage them to work ahead.
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Student Interaction and Study Groups:
- Encourage students through class introductions to get to know each other and form study groups if desired. Online students need more student-to-student interaction (Moore, 2013).
- Encourage students to share their time management strategies in their introductions.
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Goal Setting and Relevance:
- Encourage students through class introductions to identify their goals. Make a note of all students’ goals and experiences so that you may refer to them throughout your interactions with the students.
- During discussions, mention students’ experiences and remind them why the class is important to them. Ask them to share their experiences during discussions when the content is relevant.
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Progressive Assignment Structure:
- If assignments will culminate into a final assignment, let students know in advance how the smaller assignments will prepare them for the final assignment.
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Praise and Encouragement:
- Motivate students through developing competence. Give praise for effort (Ferlazzo, 2015) and encourage students to submit their best work on time.
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Reflective and Forward-Looking Announcements:
- Through weekly announcements, remind students of what is due that week, reflect on what was due last week, and provide an opportunity and encourage them to work ahead.
Dimension 2: Self-Management
This dimension evaluates a student’s ability to manage their study schedule, maintain a distraction-free environment, and complete tasks in a timely manner, emphasizing organization, time management, and self-discipline, which are critical for successful online learning. The independent nature of online learning places task management responsibility on each student. Recognizing weaknesses in this area can help students implement strategies for success. Planning a regular study schedule helps break the class into manageable pieces, avoiding an excessive workload (Akins & Li, 2005).
Effective Techniques to Enhance Student Self-Management
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Frequent Engagement:
At the beginning of class, explain that highly engaged students check in frequently by looking at their gradebook, reading and responding to discussions, checking emails, reading materials, and viewing instructional materials such as videos, lectures, and presentations. Research shows that highly engaged students generally perform better in online classes (Ed & Fred, 1992).
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Detailed Task List and Weekly Checklist:
Provide students with a detailed and dated task list of all required readings, activities, assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. Encourage them to use it as a weekly checklist.
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Weekly Announcements and Reminders:
Through weekly announcements, remind students of what is due that week, reflect on what was due last week, and provide an opportunity and encouragement to work ahead.
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Preparation and Planning:
Prepare students to begin working on the module to avoid potential issues that may cause them to miss the deadline, such as technical issues (computer and/or internet failures), time invested in research and preparation, and planning ahead for group work.
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Progressive Assignment Structure:
Break up work into manageable pieces by creating details about the assignment. For major assignments, place progressive tasks throughout the modules leading up to the final deadline. If assignments will culminate into a final assignment, let students know in advance how the smaller assignments will prepare them for the final assignment.
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Study Time Management Plan:
Within the introductions, have students share their study time management plan including a designated place, personal goals for the course, and their best practice tips for staying on track.
Dimension 3: Need for Instructor Feedback and Clarity
This dimension focuses on a student’s need for prompt and clear feedback from instructors, addressing frustrations with delayed feedback, uncertainty about performance, and the desire for explicit instructions on assignments. This is crucial for maintaining student engagement and confidence. Students transitioning from traditional classrooms, where frequent face-to-face contact with teachers is common, may experience dissonance in an online environment. Understanding their responsibility in the learning process, students should proactively initiate dialogue with instructors (Reisetter & Boris, 2004). Starting assignments early allows time for feedback, ensuring instructors have ample time to respond to concerns (Watkins & Corry, 2005).
Effective Strategies to Address Students' Need for Prompt and Clear Feedback
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Encourage Early Communication and Clarify Assignment Expectations:
- Explain the advantages of starting assignments early in the module to allow time for clarification.
- Emphasize that waiting until the last minute may delay answers to their questions.
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Provide Balanced Feedback:
- Use communication models that balance positive and negative feedback.
- Compliment well-done work while providing constructive feedback for improvement.
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Offer Proactive and Personalized Feedback:
- After grading, reach out to students who did not perform well with specific advice for improvement.
- Provide positive feedback to successful students periodically outside the gradebook through email or personal calls.
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Ensure Accessibility of Instructor Contact Information:
- Place contact information in multiple locations and identify the best means and times for communication (office hours).
- Request students to record contact information outside their computers for emergencies.
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Encourage Ongoing Communication:
- Through the welcome announcement, encourage students to communicate any issues with coursework and deadlines through the chosen communication method.
- Regularly remind students to check their gradebook for their class standing after grading sessions.
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Provide Detailed and Directive Feedback:
- Feedback should not only be post-assignment commentary but also guide students on how to use their time effectively, how to feel about their efforts, and whether their motivation level and performance meet expectations.
Dimension 4: Peer Interaction and Collaboration
This dimension highlights the importance of social interactions and collaborative learning for students, including the value placed on group discussions, building rapport with classmates, face-to-face interactions, and understanding course material through peer collaboration. While online learning emphasizes independence, most courses encourage or require discussion boards. These can aid students who benefit from discussing materials or need items paraphrased. To maximize the discussion board experience, students should actively participate, respond to others’ posts, and check the board frequently. This demonstrates interest and encourages further participation from peers (Guide to Discussing, 2004).
Strategies to Foster Social Interactions and Collaborative Learning
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Encourage Class Introductions and Study Groups:
Online students need more student-to-student interaction (Moore, 2013). Encourage students through class introductions to get to know each other and form study groups if desired.
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Create a Message Board:
Establish a message board where students can interact and share their questions. Define the purpose of the message board (coffee house, chat room) in the syllabus and through the welcome announcement (VanMouwerik, 2015).
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Engage Students in Discussions:
Get students actively involved in discussions through discussion requirements. Ask students to share their experiences with the topic and require them to ask a question in their response to a classmate. Utilize online discussion response strategies for discussion requirements (Ward, 2012) (Novicki, 2013).
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Utilize Social Media:
If your discipline has a school Facebook page, Twitter, or other social media account, invite students to join. If not, consider creating one for your class. Some course management systems have a social media link option built into the course shell.
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Schedule Virtual Meetups:
Organize virtual meetups or study sessions using video conferencing tools to facilitate face-to-face interactions and build rapport among classmates.
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Promote Peer Collaboration:
Incorporate collaborative assignments and projects into the course to encourage students to work together and understand course material through peer collaboration.
Dimension 5: Text-Based Learning Preferences
This dimension reflects students’ preference for learning through reading and writing, including their inclination to learn best from thorough reading, preference for textbooks over lectures, and proficiency in written communication. In online classes, lectures, notes, discussion boards, assignments, and other written texts are readily accessible. Learners who excel with visual text benefit from the abundance of saved course materials that aid their studies (Using Group Work, 2004). Students should not hesitate to read and reread useful materials or discussions. Most materials can be printed for note-taking or color-coding to enhance retention and comprehension.
Strategies for Supporting Students Who Prefer Text-Based Learning
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Ensure Accessibility of Visual Text:
Choose fonts and colors that are universal and easy to read to meet accessibility requirements in an online class. Contact your school's accessibility office for guidelines to ensure all text is accessible.
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Use Black on White Text:
Utilize black text on a white background, the most common and accessible color combination, to enhance readability for most students.
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Review and Edit Text for Clarity:
Before the class begins, review all text to ensure it is clearly visible, error-free, and logically organized. This ensures that instructions and content are easy to understand and follow.
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Provide Additional Reading Resources:
In addition to textbooks, provide additional resources with similar content. This gives students multiple opportunities to engage with the material and reinforces their learning.
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Encourage Written Communication:
Promote proficiency in written communication by encouraging students to express their ideas and responses through writing. This can be done through discussion boards, written assignments, and peer reviews.
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Maintain Consistent Formatting:
Ensure consistent formatting throughout course materials to help students navigate and comprehend information more effectively. Consistency in headings, fonts, and layout can significantly aid in text-based learning.
Dimension 6: Visual Learning Preferences
This dimension assesses students’ preference for visual aids in learning, including their reliance on graphs, diagrams, and maps to clarify concepts and understand instructions, highlighting the importance of visual resources in their learning process. The internet and online medium offer a wide range of visual tools for learners. Visual learners can view or create graphs, charts, or videos to reinforce the material they have been studying. Recognizing their preference for graphic representations, students can enhance their learning by exploring additional links or videos provided by the instructor (Bonk & Zhang, 2006).
Strategies for Supporting Students Who Prefer Visual Learning
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Provide Additional Visual Resources:
To reach the multiple learning styles of the entire class, always provide additional resources for each module in the form of links, videos, graphics, etc.
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Use Descriptive Alt Tags for Graphics:
Ensure that all graphics include descriptive alt tags so that students with screen readers and other supplemental technology can also benefit from these items.
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Preview and Align Visual Content with Objectives:
Preview all visual graphics to ensure they support the learning objectives of the specific content area where they are placed.
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Provide Captioned Videos:
When using videos to reinforce materials, preview the entire video to ensure relevance and appropriateness. All videos should include closed captioning to support all students, including those with hearing impairments.
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Describe Graphics and Their Objectives:
To ensure understanding when using visual graphics and to connect the graphic to its learning objective, provide detailed descriptions for each graphic.
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Utilize High-Quality Visual Aids:
Ensure that all visual aids, including graphs, diagrams, and maps, are of high quality and clearly convey the intended information. High-quality visuals help students better grasp and retain concepts.
Dimension 7: Auditory Learning Preferences
This dimension identifies students who learn most effectively through listening and verbal communication, including their preference for spoken presentations, talking out loud while studying, and listening to lectures or speeches over reading textbooks. Alongside visual media, the Internet offers a wealth of audio material to support auditory learners (Bonk & Zhang, 2006). Students who feel that course content doesn’t fit their learning preference can explore additional resources, such as multimedia links, form study groups to discuss topics, or read aloud to themselves. Online materials can be accessed repeatedly, allowing lectures to be rewound and reviewed for better comprehension (Friedman & Deek, 2002).
Strategies for Supporting Students Who Learn Through Listening and Verbal Communication
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Provide Audio Resources with Captions:
Ensure understanding by providing audio for each topic, with all audio materials including captions to support all students, including those with hearing impairments.
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Preview Multimedia Content:
Preview all multimedia to ensure it supports the learning objectives of the specific content area where it is placed and does not contain offensive or inappropriate content.
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Encourage Study Group Formation:
Encourage the formation of study groups during class introductions. Recommend useful technology tools for these groups (e.g., Google Groups) and post links to these within your course.
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Use Relevant and Appropriate Videos:
When using videos to reinforce materials, ensure they are relevant and appropriate. Preview the entire video to assess its content.
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Ensure Accessibility:
Provide a link to your school’s accessibility office for students who need access to reading software or apps.
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Offer Supplementary Audio Materials:
Provide additional audio resources, such as podcasts or recorded lectures, to give students multiple opportunities to engage with the content through listening.
Dimension 8: Technology Skills
This dimension evaluates students’ proficiency and comfort with using technology, which is essential for online learning. It includes basic computer and word processing skills, reliable access to technology, the ability to install software, attach files to emails, and seek help when needed. Technology is a rapidly evolving field, but it is becoming increasingly user-friendly and accessible. Technology support teams offer useful advice and FAQs. Online students should explore the course website, ask questions about tools, and seek help from classmates if needed (Akins & Li, 2005). Tutorials and orientation materials can also be valuable resources for familiarizing students with necessary programs (Mortera-Guiterrez, 2002).
Strategies for Supporting Students with Limited Technology Skills
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Clearly State Technology Requirements:
In the syllabus, clearly state the technology required for the course and provide links to download free software or purchase necessary tools.
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Provide Technology Tutorials:
If available, provide tutorials on how to use the technology. Include step-by-step guides and video tutorials to help students become familiar with necessary tools.
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Encourage Communication for Tech Support:
Encourage students to use the chat area for technology-related questions and have peers assist each other. This builds a supportive community and helps resolve issues quickly.
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Offer Tech Support Links and Resources:
Provide a link to the Student Technology Resource Center’s website and include helpdesk contact information and website links for immediate assistance with technical issues.
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Ensure Reliable Technology Setup:
Encourage students to have a designated computer and reliable Internet connection available for the duration of the class. Discuss the limitations of using smart technology like tablets and phones for more intensive tasks.
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Promote Early Submission of Work:
Encourage students to submit work early in the week to avoid last-minute technical issues that may prevent them from meeting deadlines.
Dimension 9: Classroom Website Skills
This dimension assesses students’ competence and confidence in using online learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard, Moodle, or similar platforms. It includes their ability to post and reply to messages, submit assignments, upload files, check grades, find help and resources, and take tests or quizzes online. An LMS is a software application for administering, documenting, tracking, and reporting training programs and e-learning content. Understanding how to navigate these systems and participate in online activities is critical for student success. Institutions offering online courses typically provide tutorials or training materials to help students familiarize themselves with the LMS.
Strategies for Supporting Students with Limited Classroom Website Skills
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Provide LMS Tutorials:
Offer tutorials on how to use the learning management system (LMS) or direct students to the LMS site or relevant links. Include a "Getting Started" area to help students navigate the course from the beginning.
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Give Detailed Assignment Submission Instructions:
Provide clear and detailed directions on how to submit assignments. Specify the location in the LMS, formatting requirements, document types, and upload or copy/paste procedures. Include any file size limitations and other relevant details.
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Establish a Q & A Discussion Forum:
Create a Q & A discussion forum where students can post general questions about the course and respond to one another. This encourages peer support and builds a collaborative learning environment.
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Encourage Tech Communication:
Encourage students to communicate in the chat area with their technology-related questions. Promote peer assistance, where students help each other with tech issues they know how to resolve.
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Include Tech Support Information:
Provide information about the help desk and how to contact them. Include links to the helpdesk website and encourage students to reach out immediately if they experience technical issues with the LMS.
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Set Up a "Getting Started" Guide:
Provide a comprehensive "Getting Started" guide that includes all necessary information about using the LMS, course navigation, and initial steps to take upon starting the course. This helps students acclimate quickly and reduces confusion.
References
- Ed, N., Fred M. (1992) Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED371047.
- Ferlazzo, L. (2015) Strategies for helping students motivate themselves. Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/strategies-helping-students-motivate-themselves-larry-ferlazzo.
- Mandernach, J. and Garrett, J. (2014) Effective feedback strategies for the online classroom. Available at: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/effective-feedback-strategies-online-classroom.
- Moore, E. (2013). 7 Assessment Challenges of Moving Your Course Online. Available at: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/7-assessment-challenges-of-moving-your-course-online-solutions/
- Novicki, A. (2013). Using Online Discussions to Encourage Critical Thinking. Available at: https://cit.duke.edu/blog/2013/12/using-online-discussions-to-encourage-critical-thinking/
- VanMouwerik, H. (2015). Fostering an Active Online Discussion. Available at: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/fostering-active-online-discussion
- Ward, D. (2012). Socratic Method and Online Teaching. Available at: https://codl.ku.edu/sites/codl.drupal.ku.edu/files/files/Socratic%20method%20and%20online%20teaching.pdf