Students Identify What Helps Them Be Successful in Online Classes

1. Students Identify What Helps Them Be Successful in Online Classes Dr. Paul Cash – Mansfield ISD

2. MISD Virtual School Mission • to provide opportunities for students to take classes in a format that will be part of their educational future • to provide options for students to take classes that may conflict with other classes in their schedule • to provide students access to classes that are not available on their home campus

3. Mansfield ISD and Online LearningBrief History • October 2008, Superintendent vision • Started 2009-2010 school year • TxVSN provider since 2010-2011 school year • Fall 2009 – 135 students – 73% success rate • Spring 2012 - 420 students – 86% success rate • Summer 2012 390 students – 91% success rate • All semesters for 2012-2013 90% success or better

4. Where is this information coming from? • Students who took online classes in Mansfield ISD during the 2011-2012 school year • Publication related to the study • http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/131614.pdf

5. 4 Areas of Focus • Course Content/Platform • District Level Supports • Campus Level Supports • Online Supports

6. What part of the course content/online platform did students determine as the most effective? • Course Information • Course Calendar • Instructor Bio • Grade Book/Progress Reports • Course Checklist

7. What part of the course content/online platform did students determine as the most effective? • Course Information – 78% • Course Calendar – 80% • Instructor Bio – 54% • Grade Book/Progress Reports – 83% • Course Checklist – 83%

8. Online/Curriculum Content • Direction and guidance are valued by students • Tools for continual monitoring helped students • The personal aspects of the instructor were not as important • Effective tools examples

9. Calendar

10. Student Dashboard

11. Progress Tracker

12. Progress Report

13. What District Level Supports did students view as most beneficial? • Student Orientation • Textbooks • Progress Reports • Parent Communication • Technical Support

14. What District Level Supports did students view as most beneficial? • Student Orientation – 50% • Textbooks – 39% • Progress Reports – 67% • Parent Communication – 50% • Technical Support – 61%

15. District Supports • Progress Reports – students felt like the in course progress reports were effective and the outside reports got parents and mentor teachers involved • The big surprise here: Textbooks • Textbooks for students taking online classes is a non-factor because the necessary resources are integrated into the class • Tech Support – would probably be used more if better communicated since it is available 24/7 with most of our classes.

16. What Campus Level Supports did students view as most beneficial? • Computer Access • Scheduling • Technical Support • Progress Reports • Teacher Mentor

17. What Campus Level Supports did students view as most beneficial? • Computer Access – 93% • Scheduling – 80% • Technical Support – 65% • Progress Reports – 74% • Teacher Mentor – 70%

18. Customized Report Options

19. Campus Supports • Being able to access the class was top priority • The convenience of working anywhere/anytime was important • Surprise: Mentor teacher • Students with good mentor teachers – teachers that actively monitor progress – are successful.

20. Mentor Teachers • Summer 2012 Example: • 390 students 91% success – 2 teacher mentors that monitored progress daily • Made email contact with students and parents • Made phone contact with parents • Required students to attend school when behind or failing

21. What Online Supports did students view as most beneficial? • E-mail Communication • Live Chat • Discussion Board • Phone • Technical Support

22. What Online Supports did students view as most beneficial? • E-mail Communication – 70% • Live Chat – 52% • Discussion Board – 37% • Phone – 48% • Technical Support – 61%

23. Online Supports • Students saw little value in the discussion boards • Surprise: Live Chat • Students rated communicating with the instructor through e-mail higher than live chat • This is viewed as a communication issue for us to improve on

24. Conclusion • Students value: • Access • Progress/Grade monitoring tools • Convenience and flexibility • Mansfield ISD is going to improve the student orientation so that technical support and live chat are better utilized by students

25. Handouts and Survey Information • Handouts of this presentation can be accessed at: www.tceaconvention.org. • From the TCEA app, each attendee has the ability to rate the academy and leave comments. • To access the survey from the TCEA app: • 1.       If you have not scheduled sessions, tap: Events • 2.       Tap Browse by Day or Browse by Track • 3.       Select date using the forward and back arrows • 4.       Locate your session (tap) • 5.       Tap the Actions tab • 6.       tap Rate Session • 1.       If you have scheduled sessions, tap: My Schedule • 2.       Select date using the forward and back arrows • 3.       Locate your session (tap) • 4.       Tap the Actions tab • 5.       Tap Rate Session • Or to access the TCEA workshop and academy online evaluation, please visit, www.tcea.org/surveys

26. Questions: