Is the Early e-Learner Prepared for Academic Success?

1. Is the Early e-Learner Prepared for Academic Success? Wenying Huang-Stolte, Instructional Technologist, Educational Technology, York College Alan Winson, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Communication, John Jay College

2. Early e-Learners • Students enrolled in online/hybrid courses for the first time do not understand what is involved in such courses • Trying to find a classroom for an online course • Thinking that online course is easier • Do not know if online course is a good fit for them • Lack of the study skills and technology skills needed to be a successful e-Learner • Do not know how to use technology tools and college email • Do not complete assignments on time CUNY IT Conference 2011

3. E-Learner’s Preparedness • Motivation • Personality • Access to technology • Technical skills and willingness/ability to learn new technology • Study skills CUNY IT Conference 2011

4. Current York College Support • Student self-assessment (http://www.york.cuny.edu/web4u) • Study skills (http://www.york.cuny.edu/it/acet/online-hybrid-course-support/study-skills-needed-for-success-in-online-or-hybrid-courses) • Technology skills (http://www.york.cuny.edu/it/acet/online-hybrid-course-support/technological-skills-needed-to-take-online-hybrid-courses) • Online/hybrid course student orientation • A letter to students who have enrolled in an online course sent out one week before the semester starts CUNY IT Conference 2011

5. The Issues • No process to ensure that students do the self-assessment before registration • No process to ensure that students participate in the orientation • Many students do not use their York email • The student support for online courses totally falls on the faculty who teach the courses Does this sound like your experience? CUNY IT Conference 2011

6. What Need to be Done • Establish a mechanism: first-time online students have to do a self-assessment to determine if they are ready to take an online course before registration • Establish a procedure to communicate with students at the registration • When registering in an online course for the first time, a letter and an email are sent to the student right away. CUNY IT Conference 2011

7. What Need to be Done • First-time online course students should be required to take the orientation (f2f or online) • Understand what is involved • Technical skills • Study skills • During the semester online students who are at-risk should be contacted to make sure they are on the right track CUNY IT Conference 2011

8. A System Approach • Registrar’s Office • IT support • Library • Advisement Center • Academic support services • Administration • The University • An integrated system CUNY IT Conference 2011

9. Middle States Guidelines • Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of the Distance Education (Online Learning) • The institution provides effective student and academic services to support students enrolled in the online learning offerings • Good web-based information to students • Online learning orientation program • Support services in appropriate formats • Students demonstrate proficiency in the use of electronic forms of learning resources CUNY IT Conference 2011

10. Middle States Guidelines (con’t) • Students in online learning programs have ready access to 24/7 tech support • Adequate access to learning resources, including library, information resources, etc. • The institution regularly evaluates the effectiveness of the academic and support services for online students and uses the results for improvement. http://www.msche.org/publications/Guidelines-for-the-Evaluation-of-Distance-Education.pdf CUNY IT Conference 2011

11. Research • Students’ preparedness impacts their academic success and satisfaction http://sloanconsortium.org/conferences/2011/aln/ready-or-not-here-i-come-does-learner-readiness-impact-student-success • Increase the success of online students http://www.vccaedu.org/inquiry/inquiry-spring-2008/1-13-Harrell.html CUNY IT Conference 2011