What do Unsuccessful Online Students Know?

Thoughts on Teaching

Published

December 6, 2013

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Published

December 6, 2013

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Eric Nordin

The need for gathering feedback from student who are not successful in online learning, and how we can help such students succeed.

The information provided by feedback from both customers and managers can be useful in ascertaining current abilities, making changes when needed, and solidifying areas of strength. Feedback, when properly integrated, can help improve products, services, and productivity. As in many different milieus, the function of feedback is applicable, critical, and central toward improving learning and teaching in the online classroom setting. Instructors are central in this process by providing feedback to students through responses to posts and comments about assignments. There is the expectation that students will take the feedback provided, think about said feedback critically, and make the needed changes to improve their performance in the classroom, as this helps improve the learning process. To help improve the teaching process, instructors need to receive feedback to ensure their teaching methods and matrixes are providing students with optimal learning opportunities.

Fortunately, instructors receive feedback through student-success rate measurements and classroom monitoring, which is the manager part of the feedback process, and end of course survey filled out by students provides instructors with feedback from their "customers". There is a significant drawback to end of course surveys as such surveys are often completed only by students who have successfully completed the course, and lacking from the survey results are the thoughts of students who did not succeed in the class. This phenomenon is not surprising given that students who have not successfully completed the course are unlikely to provide feedback regarding their instructors, although their feedback could potentially help instructors mitigate the challenges faced by "at-risk" students. Not receiving feedback from student who received F or W grades in course creates a fissure in the feedback continuum, as only receiving feedback from successful student does not allow for a holistic assessment of instructor performance.

Deciphering the reasons why some students fail to complete courses successfully though student feedback could help improve instructor techniques, however, first this feedback needs to be gathered. Fetzner (2013) conducted a survey that asked students who were not successful in online courses why they failed to succeed. Presented below are the top ten responses students gave regarding their inability to succeed in online classes:

1. 19.7 percent fell behind and did not believe they could catch up

2. 14.2 percent had personal problem preventing them from completing the course

3. 13.7 percent could not handle balance school with personal and professional tasks

4. 7.3 percent indicated they did not like the online format

5. 7.3 percent did not like the instructors teaching style

6. 6.8 percent responded they had technical difficulties

7. 6.2 percent indicated the course took up too much time

8. 5 percent lack motivation

9. 4.3 percent believed they signed up for too many course

10. 3 percent thought the course was too difficult

Understanding the reasons behind student failure or attrition can help instructors develop strategies and teaching techniques to alleviate these issues. Though some are beyond the instructors control, the power of the instructor in the classroom can help to assuage many of the above-mentioned issues through improved teaching techniques and student support. By incorporating the reasons student fail to succeed in online classes, online instructors can improve their teaching strategies, student outcomes, and retention rates. What are some of the strategies and techniques you have developed based on your experience on the frontlines to help at-risk students succeed?

Thank you,

Eric Nordin

Reference:

Fetzner, M. (2013). What do unsuccessful online student what us to know? Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(1), 13-27. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/jaln_main

Comments (13)

13 Comments

Offline Ron Friesen said 10 years ago

Eric, The first three categories represent about 50% of those who will not successfully complete the program. I think this would be a great topic for a 3 day class that addresse these three kinds of scenarios.

I have encountered all three scenarios in my 4 years of teaching online. My strategies include very friendly notices to students when I see them not showing up. If a student alerts me to a personal or family emergency, I thank them for telling me and offer support. I will ask them what would be most helpful. If they submit assignments late, I do not punish the student by taking away points. In the event my class is audited, I will note in my comment to the student that I am aware of their situation and have not taken off points. In the event of the student who is finding the material difficult, I will ask what might be helpful. I also point the student to resources online that may be written in more "lay" terms. Extensive conversations about self-care occupy many of my classroom discussions. I also ask students to talk about self-care in their bios in the Class Wall.

Offline Eric Nordin(Author) said 10 years ago

Hello Ron:

You have a good idea about a three-day class concerning the first three (most prominent) issues that cause students to fail online classes. Although there has been a focus on classroom management, we also need to focus on student management - just as we would in a traditional classroom. In addition, thank you for sharing the strategies you have developed to help students facing obstacles regarding their success in the online classroom. I believe other online faculty will benefit from said strategies.

Thanks,

Eric

Offline Larry Oslund said 10 years ago

Hi Eric,

You asked what are some of the strategies and techniques I have developed based on my experience to help at-risk students succeed?

I very much liked what Ron had to say and agree with assisting students who have informed their instructor of these issues. I would use an Alert just to let others know there is a problem.

I facilitate math-type courses, and there are always some students who are fearful from the start. In my welcome aboard message, I inquire about the students' math skill and math attitude. Students are happy that I asked and this allows me an opportunity to address the steps to allay their fears. During the course, I also know who are the at risk students.

Also in my welcome message, I inquire about their work and hobbies in their brief bio. If a student does not understand one of my examples, I will try to relate the material in an example that s/he is familiar. Often showing this patience and attempt to help motivates the student to try again.

Being available each day. Students in an online environment can easily feel isolated and think their instructor doesn't care if their questions are not answered promptly. As well, it is also important to provide a complete response to ensure students understand their next steps. It is good to hang around to see if there are follow-up inquiries.

Feedback was mentioned. Giving feedback on Day 6 or Day 7 provides little support for students that have a paper due that week. I provide feedback as soon as possible but rarely later than Day 2. If I am going to be later, I will let the class know.

Finally, when a student is falling behind or not showing up, I will post a private message inquiring how s/he is doing and if they have any questions. More times than not, students have been motivated to keep trying just by me noticing their absence and asking.

While it is up to the student to manage their studies, an attentive instructor can have a tremendous positive effect on the student's success. I wish to emphasize keeping a positive tone.

Offline Eric Nordin(Author) said 10 years ago

Hello Larry:

You bring up an excellent point about the importance of an individualized welcome message as this helps the student feel more comfortable about the upcoming course, which is frequently necessary in high-stress courses such as math. In addition, I like your strategy of asking about the students' level of understanding and comfort with math as this assuages the students' fear and gives you a quick diagnostic about the students ability. The ongoing feedback you provide can help keep students motivated, regardless of whether they are struggling or doing well in the class. The crucial point is that we need to communicate with our students proactively as they are often unwilling or feel intimidated to contact us. Any rules of thumb for how frequently to contact underperforming or missing students?

Thanks,

Eric

Offline Larry Oslund said 10 years ago

Eric wrote: Any rules of thumb for how frequently to contact underperforming or missing students?

Online modality. There are several tactics that I use to minimize MIA students. The first three tend to build community and the last two tend to build an instructor trust.

a. Small teams. I prefer three but not more than four members. Each person feels important to the team's success. Also, members can gain a quick consensus so there are fewer obstacles or waiting around.

b. Team designation. I place the frontrunners together because they like to start early and be ready for the upcoming week by Day 6. The academic weekend warriors like to start later in the week and often burn the midnight oil. I found that by mixing the frontrunners with the academic weekend warriors tend to marginalize the students who start later in the week, which are often where the weaker students reside.

c. Participation. I have students help each other, but not by giving up the answers. All students have something to gain. The weak students will receive help and earn participation by inquiring. The stronger students will reinforce their learning and earn participation by responding. If students do not have questions or answers, they may contribute supplemental material or experiential content to the discussion. I oversee and contribute to these discussions.

d. Feedback. My feedback is being created during the week. Students will generally have all of their feedback within two days after the week completes. I have expectations that their next assignment should take my feedback into account.

e. MIA students. I will observe each student's individual and team contributions during the week. When a student has been absent for a few days, I will ask them how they are doing, if they are OK, and if they have any questions. I am always happy to hear that they are OK and will listen to their problems. There is always a solution if the problems are academic.

In most cases, the student is not in dire straits. Usually they have had some personal problems that have caused a slow down. When that occurs, it is a matter of prioritizing what s/he needs to do.

The approach with students in dire straits is that there is always hope. A student believes they will fail and just wants to pass. In these extreme cases, I will provide a roadmap that will maximize the student's chances of survival. My success rate is around 80%.

Offline Eric Nordin(Author) said 10 years ago

Hello Larry:

Thanks for the suggestions on encouraging missing students to return to class. I especially liked your third suggestion about developing edifying dialogue between students, as peer-to-peer learning can be one of the most powerful tools in an instructor's arsenal. This can be difficult in the online setting given the asynchronous nature of the communication environment as well as the lack of face-to-face contact. However, when we can create an environment in which students feel they can assist and learn from each other, we have developed an online classroom that meets or exceeds the experience a student would have in a ground-based setting.

Thanks,

Eric

Offline Akash Sharma said 9 years ago

This article is really fantastic and thanks for sharing the valuable post.

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Offline Akash Sharma said 9 years ago

This article is really fantastic and thanks for sharing the valuable post.

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