Posted on 1 Comment on Shaping Student Perception for Higher Retention: Insights for Online Programs 

Shaping Student Perception for Higher Retention: Insights for Online Programs 

The phrase “perception is reality” could not ring truer in online education. How students perceive their online courses and instructors significantly influences their engagement and retention in the program. The Teacher Evaluation by Students (TEBS) survey that students complete at the end of each course asks for their perceptions of the overall course and its instructor. Here are some specific strategies that target the feedback from students about their instructors and how you can help foster student success and retention. Each topic listed below correlates with one of the seven questions in the student survey. 

 Active Participation in Online Discussions:

To receive full credit for their discussion assignments, students must post their thoughts and then respond to two or three (depending on the course) posts from their classmates. Too often, students treat these discussion assignments as just a box to check off – this assignment is done – and no actual discussion is generated. By actively participating in these discussions, professors can pose thought-provoking questions or raise issues that students may not have recognized. Each student’s response to these questions counts as one of their required “responses to others,” and the process can help students feel their contributions are valued, and their voices are heard.  

 Demonstrating Subject Matter Expertise:

 At Belhaven, all professors for a course or content area are credentialed as being qualified to teach that content. It is recognized that our professors have a strong command of the subject matter. Sharing this knowledge with your students can help gain their confidence and trust. Although the course assignments are pre-set in all courses, you can share your expertise, add related resources, and provide relevant real-world examples through your announcements to your class and during any Zoom meetings you might schedule. When students see you as experts in the content, their belief in your course’s educational value is bolstered. 

 Timely Responses to Student Questions:

 In today’s climate of instant gratification, our students want/expect responses to their questions immediately upon those questions being sent to the professor and sometimes do not realize that this expectation is unrealistic. Professors should commit to responding to student questions within 24 hours or sooner and within 48 hours (about 2 days) for inquiries received on weekends. Responding promptly helps develop a sense of your being willing and able to support students as they navigate your course’s assignments.  

 Efficient Grading Practices:

 Grading assignments and providing timely feedback to your students are crucial to retaining students within your course and their program. Per the course guidelines, you should return graded papers and assignments by the Wednesday following the Saturday due date. When students receive their grades on time, they plan their studies more effectively, and this consistency in feedback helps them perceive the course as well-structured and organized. 

 Providing Personalized Support:

 Students often need more assistance than they can find through written assignments or course lectures. You can enhance students’ perception of support by offering assistance when required. This assistance can be provided via whole-class or small-group Zoom meetings, personal phone calls or virtual meetings, whole-class announcements addressing issues and concerns from one student that may impact multiple students in the class, or links to outside resources or videos, or any other way to help students better understand challenging concepts or assignments in your course. 

 Constructive Feedback for Academic Success:

 Feedback is a powerful tool for improvement. For the biggest impact, feedback must be timely and constructive, highlighting areas of strength and focusing on strategies or guidance on areas needing improvement. When students can link your feedback to their work, they see a direct link to their academic growth. Practical, timely, and consistent feedback helps students perceive the course as valuable and worthy of their time and efforts. 

 Alignment with Grading Criteria:

 Consistency is vital when it comes to grading. If rubrics are provided for an assignment, you need to use the rubric when grading. This transparency helps students understand the reasons for any loss of points and increases their perception of fairness in grading and clarity in their assignments. 

 As stated at the start of this blog, “Perception is reality.” If students perceive their professors to be fair and equitable, if they perceive their courses to be valuable and worthy of their time and effort, and if they believe their professors care about them and want them to succeed, then that is their reality. This mindset makes students more likely to persist, succeed, and graduate. What you do in your classes really can make a difference. 

 

Posted on No Comments on Nurturing Effective Communication in Online Facilitation

Nurturing Effective Communication in Online Facilitation

While Belhaven’s online courses are pre-prepared, there are many ways our faculty can engage in effective communication to enhance the learning experiences of our students. It is this human element that you bring to your class and course that can have a profound impact on your students.  What strategies can you adopt to increase your communication skills and foster an environment of excellence within your virtual classroom?

Introduction and Availability:

Post a personalized introduction to the course, highlighting your availability to assist students. What is the best way for students to contact you?   Provide multiple ways for students to connect – can they best contact you via email, texts, comments in Canvas, or phone?  Let students know you are there to guide and support them as they move through your class.

Timely and Supportive Responses:

Respond promptly to student inquiries, providing clear, concise answers that address their concerns and keep them on track. Professors are to respond to student email requests within 24 hours of receiving that request and within 48 hours on weekends. It is highly recommended that you offer 1-3 live Zoom meetings during your course to help address student confusion and concerns as the issues arise.  Students can attend these sessions, and it is OK for you to offer a participation incentive by crediting participating students as having completed that week’s discussion assignment (they receive full points and don’t need to post anything!).

Guidance on Discussion Etiquette:

Offer guidance on respectful and constructive online discussion behavior, ensuring a positive and inclusive virtual classroom environment. Students can have differing viewpoints, but they must contribute respectful and constructive dialogue. Help guide the discussions towards a respectful exchange of thoughts.

Announcements and Reminders:

The minimum requirement for course announcements is to post one announcement per week. You are not limited to only one per week!  Post explanatory announcements if you have taught your course before and know where students typically struggle with the content.  You can share articles and supplemental materials through the announcement portal.  In your announcements, discuss the results of the previous week’s assignments.  Where did students show an overall strength or great insight?  Identify areas of weakness or misunderstanding that occurred throughout the class.  Offer words of encouragement when students appear to be struggling.

Virtual Office Hours:

Virtual office hours play a pivotal role in student success in the virtual classroom. Depending on your preference, you can establish set hours where you will be available to answer student questions or establish open hours where your students know you are available to help them.  My preference was to not have “official” office hours but to let students know to email me if they desired a phone conversation or Zoom meeting.  I know other professors prefer to establish a routine time when students can contact them.  The form your office hours take is up to you and your personal style, but virtual office hours are a “Must Do” for virtual instruction.

Feedback that Fosters Growth:

Provide feedback on assignments and discussions that highlight students’ strengths and suggest areas for improvement, fostering continuous learning. When working in SpeedGrader, please be aware of some limitations to students receiving your feedback.  Many, if not most, of your students rely on their phones and the Canvas app to keep up with their studies.  This practice makes much of your feedback ineffective because it is not read.  For example, many professors spend hours highlighting and posting comments within a student’s submitted paper.  These very helpful comments address content, construction of the paper, grammar and mechanics, formatting, etc.  But – these comments are not readily visible to students when they view their grades on the app, so they don’t read the comments.  The same is true when you post feedback within the assignment rubric.  Those comments are also not immediately visible to students.  BUT – if you post your feedback in the “Comments” box, that feedback is displayed along with the grade for the assignment, making it easy for students to view the feedback and hopefully understand why their grade is what it is.

Summarizing Discussions:

Summarize key points from online discussions to help students see their peers’ collective insights and contributions. But – do this as a course announcement, not a discussion post. Many students have told me that they just “check the box” for discussions and rarely go back to read what was said by their classmates.  By posting a summary of the class discussion as a course announcement, you can bring closure to the topic and highlight areas of insight or correct any misconceptions that arose within the discussion post.

Celebrating Milestones:

Acknowledge and celebrate student achievements, such as completing challenging assignments or engaging in thoughtful discussions.  While being careful not to publicly embarrass a student, let the class know when something was well done.  With the student’s permission, post an exemplary response, or present an insightful student’s idea or solution to a problem.  Milestones can also be non-academic.  When students share their personal achievements with you, with their permission, share these with the class.  Did someone recently complete a half-marathon?  Let others know!  New baby? Celebrate! Publicly recognizing student achievements elevates morale and helps develop a community mindset within your class.

To conclude, facilitating student engagement and maintaining clear and supportive communication can enhance the online learning experience and create a strong sense of community within your virtual classroom.

Posted on No Comments on Illuminating Growth: The Transformative Power of Reflection

Illuminating Growth: The Transformative Power of Reflection

Introduction: Our lives are busy and filled with “must do” and “oh no, I forgot to do” moments. An old saying comes to mind, “The hurried-er I go, the behind-er I get.” How can you slow down, disconnect, and re-center yourself?  By reflecting, when you examine your thoughts, actions, experiences, and outcomes. Reflecting is a conscious choice you make to help you understand the events of your daily life.

Benefits of Reflection:

Enhanced Self-Awareness: Reflect on your teaching style and interactions with your students. What are your areas of strength, and where do you show a need for more growth?  What can you do to address those areas you identify as needing improvement? How can you share your strengths with others so they can grow?

Continuous Improvement: By reflecting on past experiences, you can identify what worked well and what could be refined, leading to constant growth in your teaching methods. By adapting your lessons based on the insights you gained through reflection, you increase your effectiveness as an instructor and create a more engaging and inclusive learning environment.

Informed Decision-Making: Reflection informs your decisions by helping you make choices rooted in a deeper understanding of your values, goals, and the needs of your students. As you review your students’ weekly assignment submissions, reflect on what is and is not being understood by your students.  Is the misconception widespread or limited to a small group of students? Would a course announcement be sufficient to address these observed areas, or would a Zoom meeting be a better option?

Deepened Connection: As a direct result of your enhanced self-awareness, where you reflect on ways to grow in your teaching and the decisions you make, you can build stronger connections with your students and meet your students where the need is greatest.

Strategies for Effective Reflection:

End-of-Day Reflection: Dedicate a few minutes daily to reflect on your interactions, successes, and challenges.

Journaling: Maintain a reflective journal where you jot down thoughts, observations, and insights from your teaching experiences. What went exceptionally well in your teaching today?  How can you build on that experience?  What was a challenge you faced today?  How did you respond to it, and how would you respond if something similar occurs in the future?

Peer Collaboration: Engage with colleagues to share experiences, exchange perspectives, and gain new insights. Are other professors teaching a different section of your course?  What other professors teach in your program?  Collaborate with others to help build a supportive learning community and increase personal and professional growth.

Student Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from students about your teaching methods, and reflect on ways to implement their suggestions. Belhaven has the end-of-course student feedback report, TEBS, where students anonymously provide instructor and course feedback, but you can solicit their feedback throughout your course.  Ask open-ended questions in your responses to student discussions, ask for feedback during your Zoom meetings, and post announcements asking for student input.

Scheduled Reflection Time: Allocate dedicated time in your schedule for deep reflection, allowing you to engage in the process without distractions. Some find using reflective protocols helpful in guiding the reflective process.  One protocol is to answer three questions (What? So What? Now What?).  Another protocol revolves around the Four Rs (Recall, Relate, Reflect, Revise).  Using a protocol allows you to structure your reflection time to more effectively analyze your practice and make an action plan for growth.

Conclusion: Reflection provides you with an opportunity for personal growth.  By analyzing your areas of effectiveness and need, you can identify ways to adjust your instructional practices to better address the requirements of your course and the ever-changing needs of your students.

References:

Cochran, C. (May 19, 2023). Transformative Practices: Harnessing the Power of Reflections for Teacher Growth and Student Outcomes. SchoolEd. https://www.schooledhousemedia.com/transformative-practices-harnessing-the-power-of-reflection-for-teacher-growth-and-student-outcomes/

Gavett, G. (2023). The Power of Reflection at Work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/05/the-power-of-reflection-at-work

Posted on No Comments on Building a Vibrant Online Community by Dr. Cindy Wilkins

Building a Vibrant Online Community by Dr. Cindy Wilkins

I hope you’re all doing great! Today, I’m excited to chat about how to make our online community a truly Christ-centered and supportive space for our students. Here are some ways we can nurture our connections and grow together!

Let’s Embrace Love and Respect

One thing that’s super important in our faith is love. So, as we interact with our students, let’s ensure we show genuine care and respect. When they feel valued and heard, they’ll feel more comfortable opening up, leading to meaningful connections. When I have something critical to say to a student, I’ve started entering my response into ChatGPT and asking it to revise so the message is “firm but compassionate”.  The ChatGPT response is usually much longer than my submitted response, but the wording is excellent!  I tweak some of the phrases to make the message more personal (for example:  “our institution” becomes “Belhaven”) and make other changes as appropriate, but I use most of what ChatGPT presents as my message.  One big bonus to taking this extra step:  I find the ChatGPT response filters out any emotion I might have put into my response (I know none of you ever get exasperated with your students and struggle with how NOT to let that show in your response) but relays the same message in a kinder, gentler way.

Support Each Other Through Prayer

Life can be tricky sometimes, and that’s why it’s essential to create a space for prayer in our virtual classroom. We can let our students share their prayer requests; as a community, we can pray for each other. It’s a beautiful way to show support and care for one another. In the “Course Resources” section of your course, there are “Prayer Request” and “Questions for the Professor” discussion options.  Student submissions to these areas are not automatically triggered by your “To Do” notifications, so you must check them regularly to avoid overlooking a student needing help.  But, if you habitually check regularly and respond to student concerns, word spreads rapidly among students in your class, and they start posting more frequently.  As a bonus, you develop a cohort of loving, caring individuals who pray for each other and support each other through the rough patches.

Be All About Servant Leadership

Do you know what makes a real difference? Being a servant leader! Leading by example and showing our students how serving others is at the heart of our faith is an effective way to spread the message of love. When they see us putting others first, they’ll be inspired to do the same, creating a caring and supportive atmosphere.  Offering grace whenever possible is also a visible testimony to servant leadership.  While we must maintain the academic integrity of our courses, programs, and university, we must also support our students when they need exceptions.  I know that many times I’ve had to swallow my feelings of “but this is a graduate program, and we shouldn’t need to . . .” when dealing with student issues or demands, sometimes exceptions are warranted. If you have a sticky issue with a student and don’t know what options you may have, please get in touch with me so we can discuss different ways to address the situation.  Sometimes bending the rules is the right approach, but please work with me before you try to bend them too far!

Celebrate Together and Give Thanks

Whenever something extraordinary happens, let’s remember to give thanks and celebrate! We can acknowledge that our achievements result from God’s blessings. By sharing our joy and gratitude, we’ll strengthen the sense of community among us We can use this blog to celebrate together and give thanks.  You can use the announcement section of your course to celebrate and give thanks for your students’ achievements and successes.

Disclaimer:  I used ChatGPT to help identify potential topics for my blogs, including this one, but the thoughts and ideas expressed are mine.  Upcoming potential topics, as identified by ChatGPT, include the following:  enhancing online learning, improving course design, supporting diverse learnings, fostering academic integrity, leveraging student feedback, and sharing success stories.

If there are specific topics you would like me to address, please let me know in the comments section below. I look forward to seeing our online community flourish with our Christ-centered approaches. Together, we can create an environment where students learn, grow spiritually, and feel supported by their professors.

In Christ,

Cindy

Posted on No Comments on Discussion Questions in Online Courses

Discussion Questions in Online Courses

In most cases online discussion questions in online courses fall into one of two categories. They are either essay posts, or true discussions. At Belhaven, the former is the typical format.

For either format, student engagement in the course and satisfaction with the course and the Instructor is increased when Instructors post responses to student posts. Obviously, posting a response to every post is unrealistic and is actually less meaningful than purposeful responses.  Ideally, we would like to see Instructors respond to student posts in three ways:

  1. If the student’s post is excellent, then responding to that, especially pointing out any parts that were particularly on the mark can have a powerful effect in encouraging students and reinforcing engagement overall.
  2. If the student’s post is off-target or just plain wrong, then posting a response is a necessity to keep the student from assuming that since you didn’t reply they must have done OK. In this case, the best response is to post a question that has the effect of directing the student toward the right answer or thought process. Alternately, but less beneficial, the response should point out the error and provide the correct information.
  3. Finally, and this one should be a regular practice, the Instructor posts a reply to the discussion at the end of the week. This can be a recap of the discussion posts, pulling out the best comments from different students, but should at least contain a response that reinforces the correct information for that discussion post.

In some cases, the discussion question is reflective rather than asking for an answer to a specific question. Even in these cases, the Instructor’s engagement in the discussion has a positive effect on student engagement.

I know you are teaching because you care. Since we aren’t policing Instructor responses to discussion posts it might seem like this is an area where you can slide. While there are some who do that, those who are taking their role seriously do not. Just checking the post responses for the last few weeks it is clear to me that more than half of those teaching are making an effort to engage with their students in the discussion posts. I’d love to see that number climb to 100%.

Blessings,

Rick

Posted on No Comments on Strategies for Improving Student Performance

Strategies for Improving Student Performance

The information below comes from a whitepaper released by McGraw Hill regarding the devastating effect procrastination can have on student performance.  Here are some of the strategies they share from their research to improve student performance. I encourage you to read through the list and pick at least one or two of the ideas shared and begin to implement in your courses.

Instructors, remind students not to delay starting assignments! Make it a point to detect the early signs of procrastination and intervene with students who are lagging. If you’re using online learning management systems like Connect, you can use the system to look at patterns of student activity and engagement with the course that can help identify
which students may need a little extra assistance. Additionally, by taking some extra teaching steps and employing a few simple strategies, you can likely help the procrastinators before it becomes too late:

Intervene early: Intervene with struggling students before things go too far and grades suffer. Meet and work with them to develop a plan to successfully complete assignments and the course. Pay attention to early warning signs of struggle: late assignments, poor assignment quality, lack of communication, not responding to feedback, and displaying apathy. It also means being proactive and reaching out to students showing these signs and asking if and when, they started an assignment.

Use the data: The fact is, many students may not even know the unintended consequences of procrastination. Kick off the class with a short lecture or video presentation on procrastination. . . .  Let them know that while procrastination is a natural behavior, those not staying on top of when they start an assignment have a greater likelihood of receiving a poor score and course grade.

Stay in touch: Ask students to notify you via email when they start an assignment. When about 75 percent of students have emailed you, reach out to the ones you haven’t heard from and encourage them to get started.

Measure progress: Administer mini-surveys to students to assess their progress on assignments and get involved with those who are not tracking to deadlines, or the assignment start threshold.

Monitor: Actively monitor student assignment start times in the online learning management system. When about 75 percent of them have started an assignment, contact the remaining 25 percent to get them started.

Nudge and repeat: “Nudge” them to start assignments with plenty of time before the due date. Repeat this message throughout the course, weaving it into weekly emails,
discussion posts, or any time you’re communicating with students. Use the carrot and not the stick and nudge them with extra credit for early assignment submissions.

Manage time: Integrate and lecture on-time management strategies in the first class. Listen to their ideas, provide feedback, and be clear that an important strategy is starting assignments early enough to do well on them.

Practice reflection: Early in the course, ask students to write a self-reflection paper or email on how to avoid procrastination in this course and in their college career. Have them be specific in identifying their habits and recommending specific solutions.

Text and call: Send a group text to the class reminding them to start an assignment. Or give them a call if you think they are starting an assignment late—it might just help to light a fire and get them moving on an assignment. One-on-one conversations might also reveal a student who needs assistance and an opportunity for you to help get them on the right track.

Make a timeline: Ask students to turn in a short project timeline outlining when they plan to start an assignment, meet deliverable milestones, and their strategies for staying on track. Review assignment grades and contact students who received less than a “B+” and discuss how they did the assignment work relative to their timeline. Provide helpful feedback for the next assignment and timeline.

Check-in regularly: Touch base with students, get them thinking and talking about starting assignments and making progress. Reminders can happen via text, email, when soliciting feedback or commenting on their work, or even dropping a thoughtful “don’t
procrastinate” note in the student chat room. Be proactive and show students that you’re interested in setting them up for success.

Posted on No Comments on Infographics as Team Projects – repost

Infographics as Team Projects – repost

I posted on this before but I still think it is an idea which could be useful.  Creating the infographic employs research skills around a topic, design skills for appropriately displaying the information, and communication skills to know what information will have the greatest impact.

Check out the original post: https://blogs.belhaven.edu/asfaculty/2014/12/03/infographics-as-team-projects/ 

There are some examples below.

Posted on No Comments on Irreducible Minimum meets Collaborative Learning Strategy

Irreducible Minimum meets Collaborative Learning Strategy

When these two concepts intersect, powerful learning can occur.  However, for there to even be an intersection, the Instructor must accept a few basic premises:

  1. That student learning is different than teaching.  I have heard it said that “teaching is an art.”  I can believe that, but what makes it an art is whether or not learning occurs.  Teaching experiences designed without consideration of how or even if it impacts student learning are empty experiences, which can be equally frustrating for Instructor and student.
  2. That adults learn differently than traditional age college students.  Because of their life experiences the studies show they are better at synthesizing material, particularly if it is presented in a way that allows them to grasp relevance.
  3. That there is more than one way to “skin a cat” as my Mom used to say, i.e. there are other ways to teach besides lecture.
  4. Finally, that there are some things about any subject which are more important than others and which are crucial to mastery of the whole (this is the irreducible minimum c.f. The Seven Laws of the Learner by Bruce Wilkinson).

When these premises are accepted, the Instructor can look at the material to be covered for the class session and, because of experience and education, determine which topics are crucial.  With that knowledge, it is easy to arrange the class session to focus on the crucial topics first, before moving on to the other topics, which are still important but don’t qualify as crucial.

Once the irreducible minimum has been identified, now comes the choice of how to present the material, i.e. what learning strategies will you employ to insure these crucial topics are not just taught but learned.  While those activities include lecture, it is probably the most over used  and least effective technique employed by Instructors.  There are other articles in this blog which talk about collaborative learning activities and any search engine will turn up hundreds if not thousands of ideas, so I won’t include those in this blog post.    Suffice it to say, to contemplate what it will take to achieve student learning will require more time and energy as well as some creativity.  It will mean becoming comfortable with a certain amount of creative chaos in the classroom, something may Instructors find uncomfortable.  On the plus side, this intersection of Irreducible Minimum and Collaborative Learning Strategy will dramatically improve the learning of the students in your class and may have an unexpected consequence of re-invigorating you love for the “art” of teaching.

Originally posted November, 2014