Online Companion: A Student’s Guide to Online Success

1. Online Companion: A Student’s Guide to Online Success Faculty Summer Institute May 18, 2005 Anita Crawley Michael Lindeman

2. Agenda • Supporting Online Students • The Challenge • Tour of the Online Companion • Supporting Online Students • The Discussion

3. WCET – The Scope

4. Poll #1 Most Resources Look at the WCET Scope Spider Web and identify the suite of online services that your institution has devoted the most amount of resources into developing. • Academic Services Suite • Communications Suite • Administrative Core • Student Communications Suite • Personal Services Suite

5. Poll #2 Least Resources Look at the WCET Scope Spider Web and identify the suite of online services that your institution has devoted the least amount of resources into developing. • Academic Services Suite • Communications Suite • Administrative Core • Student Communications Suite • Personal Services Suite

6. CAS Standards for Distance Learners Institutions must provide: • appropriate student services for all students enrolled in Distance Education Programs  • a fully functioning program of student services • comparable quality to services provided to on-campus students

7. Regional Accrediting Associations “….that institutions accept the obligation to address student needs related to, and to provide the resources necessary for their academic success”

8. Online Companion: A Student’s Guide To Online Success • Purpose – information, community, connection • Delivered from WebCT course site • Enrollment – All students enrolled in courses that use WebCT site

9. Online Learning Content ModulesInformation • Getting Started • Online Learning Success • Using the Internet • Online Communication • Academic Support • The Library

10. Advising & Counseling ModulesInformation • Decision Making & Goal Setting • Educational Planning • Transfer Planning • Career Exploration • Personal Barriers

11. Communication ToolsCommunity • Discussion board • Student to student email • Phone • On campus meetings • Chat

12. Activities, Events, Deadlines Connection • Announcements • Discussion Board • Ask a Counselor • Ask an Instructor • Ask a Student Support Specialist • Campus News • Email a counselor

13. What Are Students Talking About?

14. Online Companion Statistics • Fall 2004 enrollment 3024 • Spring 2005 enrollment 4782 • Increase 1758 • Of the 3024 users, 1254 (41.5%) logged on at least once (1/12/05) • Of the 4782 users, 2733 (57%) logged on at least once (4/26/05)

15. Group #1 – Greatest Needs What are your online student’s greatest needs?

16. Group #2 – Doing Well? What areas of online student services are you doing well?

17. Group #3 – Unmet Needs What are the most important online student services needs that are not currently being met?

18. Group #4– Meeting Needs What new ideas do you have for meeting the needs of online students?

19. Guest Access to Online Companion Demo Site • http://webct.montgomerycollege.edu/ • WebCT ID and Password – guest_nb • Also provides access to online College Survival Course (DS 107 Common Course)

20. Additional Resources • WCET – Beyond the Administrative Core http://www.wcet.info/projects/laap/about/about.asp • CAS – Purchase Distance Learner Self Assessment Guide http://www.cas.edu/catalog/iteminfo.cfm?itemid=26&compid=1 • League for Innovation (especially Distance Learning Student Support Resource  & Nontraditional Student Service Program Resources) http://www.league.org/leaguetlc/learning_links/index.htm • Online Student Success Center http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/studevgt/onlinsts

21. Contact Information Anita Crawley Distance Learning CounselorMontgomery College (Maryland) Anita.Crawley@montgomerycollege.edu Michael Lindeman Program Director Illinois Online Network http://illinois.online.uillinois.edu/