Strategies for Implementing an Online Readiness Course. Justin Carrell, M.Ed Diane Sudman, M.S.

Transcription

1 Strategies for Implementing an Online Readiness Course Justin Carrell, M.Ed Diane Sudman, M.S.

2 About Justin Carrell

3 About Diane Sudman

4 Session Agenda 1. Background 2. Marketing 3. Logistics 4. Course Overview 5. Results 6. Takeaways

5 Background University Administration Objective: Improve student performance in fully online courses Driving force for course Research: What are other universities doing? Rationale for our model Intended student benefits

6 Marketing Partners Advising Center First Year Course Facilitators Registrar's Office Freshman Move-in Experience: T-Week (Transition Week) Advertising at technology sessions Explaining to campus community: who should take course Utilizing Blackboard Communities with Institutional Roles for Blackboard Advertisement Take advantage of Blackboard Template Variables Send students to a Qualtrics Interest survey

7 Blackboard Advertisement

8 Logistics Qualtrics Survey Integration Capping Enrollment Working with the Registrar s Office Enrollment Final Grades Keeping Advising Center in the loop Working through challenges Little direction from top stakeholders No prior model Creating a trigger in Banner

9 Qualtrics Integration

10 Qualtrics Integration

11 Qualtrics Integration Blackboard Template Variables Google Forms

12 Course Overview Initial challenges - determining self-paced vs instructor led, length, rigor and timedemand, etc., with little direction from major stakeholders. Started as self-paced, switched to instructor-led part way through development NOT to be a Blackboard 101 course. Focus on persistence and strategies for success. Module per week. Cannot work ahead. No late work accepted. Creating content - Content delivery modes (Articulate vs SoftChalk vs Blackboard) ---Results on student survey Future changes - Statistics Tracking? Add Discussions link in Modules?

13 Results Pass Rate Fall % Spring % Fall %

14 Drops / Failure to complete Fall total 24 dropped, 24 not completed Spring total 1 dropped, 8 not completed Fall total 6 dropped, 25 not completed *drop = communicated with instructor a desire to discontinue course

15 Sample Comments - from 2 reflection assignments on progress and final survey This course was very understandable and benefited me more than I had anticipated. I really appreciate having this course before I started online classes. I enjoyed this class very much. My outlook on future online courses are a little brighter now. I think this course was very beneficial. Even though I have already taken multiple online courses in my past for dual credit, this course was helpful to know what the setting of an online course would be. And I think this course should have to be taken before any online course in given.

16 Sample Comments - from 2 reflection assignments on progress and final survey not so long of a course, very boring actually but i find that i cant do well with the online course, just stick with face to face courses. I found this course frustrating on top of my other courses. I quickly lost interest and gave up on fulfilling the requirements. I felt the subjects were covered more than once which was a poor use of my time. I'm interested in some online courses because I have a child and what not. The requirements of online learning is mostly common knowledge. If someone isn't motivated and flunks, then that's on them. It's ridiculous how much this university seeks to "babysit" college students by not allowing us to take online courses if we so choose.

17 Takeaways Takeaway 1: A majority of students had no prior online learning experience Takeaway 2: Students respond favorably to more engaging media such as Articulate Takeaway 3: Students identified clear course instructions as a driver for success Takeaway 4: Does this transfer to improved performance in online courses? Hope to find way to track performance in online courses post-completion

18 Questions? Diane Sudman Justin Carrell