When We Need Help

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
~ Henry Brooks Adams ~

Online education requires and demands every instructor and professor to move beyond a facilitator statue. One way we are able to do this is to recognize when we need to seek assistance for ourselves to help our students.

What steps to do we take when we have exhausted all we know how to do for our students who obviously need our support and assistance?  I posed this question to my colleagues. This is one of the responses I received.

Recently, I began to discuss the following question with peer OFTF.  On occasion, many of us have students we recognize do not understand the material being presented and covered in our classes.  We have done all we can to assist the student without successful outcome.  What plan of action do you implement to provide the student the intensive learning support they need when you are really not sure how to help the student?  The following is one response.

 I call the student to review their performance with them to get their perception.  I want to get their view on how they think things are going.  I ask performance oriented questions connected to information collected during the welcome call.

 Following FERPA and appropriate courtesies, I begin with polite reminder of the grade the student expressed desire to earn during the welcome call.  This is generally enough to prompt student disclosure of their performance issues.

 Next, I ask how they feel about their performance to get a sense of their awareness of it.  I listen to gather information.

 Next, I ask what adjustments they sense the need to make and ask how I might help.  If the student's voice indicates guilt or shame, I immediately move to affirm other things I am aware of they are regularly accomplishing.  It might be their role as spouse, parent and employee.

 I ask further what the student believes must be done to get on track towards the success they want to achieve.  The plan of corrective action must first be their opportunity.  This contact is concluded with agreement of a plan of the student's own initiative.

 If at the end of the following week, there is little to no evidence of productivity, I call again with a more intense inquiry.  I now ask if there is no regard for the financial investment in the class.  I ask about their personal intention and commitment to their own success.  I ask what I might do to further inspire their activity.  This conversation ends with the next level contract, an email I design for student confirmation by return of our agreement on their expected performance.  I also inform them their grad team will be invited to enhance support towards their success.

 With student best intention and my own as OFTF, successful outcomes are never a sure thing.  I do not enjoy owning that outcome.  On occasion after doing all I know how to do, I have no choice.

 I give thanks for the experience shared for the student and myself.  My closing hopeful prayer is that something that transpired during our short term relationship of work together will one day prove to be of value to them.

According to Kisamore and et.al in 2008, they had generated a list of points for instructors of adult learners. The list is as follows:

• Acknowledge and alleviate all fears
• Realize students will want to focus more on practical application of acquired knowledge and less on learning pure theory.
• Recognize adult learners' desire to assimilate new information with old information and the possibility that they will sometimes incorrect linkages.
• Use evaluation methods that emphasize comprehension rather rote memory.
• Treat students as equal partners in the learning process.
• Allow for flexibility in meeting course and program requirements.
• Promote support, collaboration and networking through socialization.

Here are possible questions you can ask yourself.

• What type of learner is the student?
• What does the student do well?
• Have I identified the student's actual problem?
• Where or how do I believe I need to support my student?
• Am I am helping the student based upon the student's learning style?
• What resources are available to me?
• Do I know how to use my resources effectively?

I believe once these questions or similar questions are answered, each of us will begin to know what approach we may take to help our student such as but definitely not limited to:

• Consulting a colleague
• Providing printouts - ex. Providing examples of correctly completed assignments, worksheets more focused for the student's need, detailed instructions with pictures
• Web sources - ex. Additional sites for practice of a skill or examples of the information the student is trying to learn, tutorials
• Visual Aids - ex. PowerPoint, podcasts
• Being patient with the student and listening.

Overall, teaching adults requires patience and our ability to think outside of the box to ensure our students are processing the information correctly. We, as the instructors and professors, must recognize when we need support ourselves to support our students. It is perfectly acceptable for us to ask for help and seek assistance. If we are not doing this, we are failing our students.

Reference

Kisamore, J. L., Aldridge, D., Alexander, E., & White, D. (2008). Educating Adult Learners:

            Twelve Tips for Teaching Business Professionals. Reflection on Theory and Practice.

            Online Submission,