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December 5, 2017
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FAB: Managing the Emotional Challenges of Online students
Hi All
For those of you who might be new (I had a posted discussions for the last three weeks), my name is Mike Considine and I will be facilitating the discussion in this thread which is being sponsored by the Faculty Advisory Board (FAB). This discussion is presented as a part of the Faculty Training Culture Initiative.
For this fourth and final week, I would like to know if you have ever had a situation where you were concerned about the welfare of a student. If not concerned, might you have been “puzzled” by a student who, for example, had a sudden change in his or her academic behaviors?
As you reflect, I offer some behaviors that indicate that a student might be struggling:
The student presents with correspondence that go beyond the scope of your class and/or your expertise
If the class is well into the semester and there is a sudden decline in participation and assignment submission
Student correspondence makes little sense and seems to be a series of disjointed thoughts
Multiple requests for assignment extensions
Any disclosure of self harm
The above is not a complete list. Rather, they are points to consider. I would be curious to see if you have experienced students with the above behaviors and/or can add to this list
Best
Mike Considine
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Hi all
As I stated above, I did not provide an exhaustive list of behaviors that might raise concern. As online instructors, we tend to communicate with students through email, discussion boards, and forums (although I literally received a text at 1:30 this morning). In other words, there are many ways that we communicate with our students. For example, an instructor may see troubling content in a paper or a student might appear abrasive or aggressive on a discussion board.
I believe that there are “hurdles” with managing emotions of online students. As I addressed in my first discussion post, one hurdle might be an email that helps “ground” the person is a good first step. Remember,
Correspondence that alludes to depression likely includes references to the past (I failed this class once before and it looks like I’m failing again)
Correspondence that alludes to anxiety likely references the future (I have so many things to do this semester, I don’t know how I’ll fit in school)
Correspondence with an angry tone will include blaming (you did not respond to me when I asked why you gave me a C- on the last paper)
If there are other concerns after that, another hurdle might be to alert the student's advisor. This contact can serve as a consultation or to receive additional information about the student.
If there are concerns after that, the final hurdle might to refer the person to student services. If this becomes an avenue to consider, make sure the suggestion is from a place of encouragement and based on your concern for the student.
For example:
“........I know we have been in touch about your concerns in this class and I really think that you can do better than you think. However, my expertise is in teaching and I would like you to consider some of the student services that GCU offers. They have been of great assistance to my past students and I hope that you may see the same benefit. Let me know if you need any assistance contacting them.
Have you ever had students that you were concerned about? What were some of your interventions?
Best
Mike Considine