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SUS Retention Efforts_ Supporting Students at a Distance - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
SUS Retention Efforts: Supporting Students at a Distance
Sharon Morgenthaler
Director of Academic Success
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: September-October 2007
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Student-issues
In 2004, the newly formed Department of Academic Success at the School of Undergraduate Studies
began the work of identifying and building needed student support systems to enhance student
retention, persistence and success. Three years later the pilots became operational and entering the
stage of being fully installed. Along the way, each program has been continuously evaluated. The
findings have been both consistent with research on adult learning and illuminating the challenges of
teaching adult working students.
The pilots, described below, were designed to operate at a distance and to serve both "at-risk" students
and students who may be average or high achieving. These pilot programs are linked to external and
internal research that suggests that students' top reasons for not succeeding are conflicts between job,
school and personal life changes. Some risk factors that these pilot systems do not address are
financial issues, military obligations or "wanting a break." Systems are also designed to touch students
at different points in the degree path. These programs were organized somewhat in the order in which
they would impact a student.
UMUC 411
This online seminar for prospective students is administrated by the Office of Enrollment Management
in collaboration with SUS, Academic Advising and others. 411 offers areas for student facilitators, such
as Ask an Advisor, and includes faculty and staff who volunteer to answer questions. Thousands of
students have participated in these week-long online seminars. The online conferences allow students
to ask questions of faculty and staff as well as other UMUC students. It is an exciting communication
venue, with many prospective students making the decision during this week to sign up for classes.
EDCP100: Principles and Strategies of Successful Learning
The EDCP100 orientation course is conducted both face-to-face and online. Its objectives stress
self-assessment, navigation of the institution, organization, and coping skills. The curriculum
recognizes that our students' main concerns are juggling family/work/academics and creating a clearer
link between academics and career achievements. Students express high satisfaction with the course,
saying that it not only gave them good study skills tips but also an opportunity to explore why they
want to be in college – key to staying motivated through the long haul.
The Early Intervention Tool
This program is still in its pilot stage. It identifies students in a select number of online entry courses
who have not checked into class by the end of Week 1. Academic Success, in collaboration with
Advising, sends these students an e-mail encouraging them to respond to conferences early and often
and asks if they need any assistance with course selection or study skills. During the first run, about
50% of students contacted checked in within a few days of the e-mail.
SUS Retention Efforts: Supporting Students at a Distance - DE Oracle
Allies Mentoring Program
During its first year, this program matched alumni with community college transfer students arriving at
UMUC with 3.0+ GPAs. Mentored students did perform more successfully than their non-mentored
counterparts. However, as incoming scholars who self-selected the resource, they already evidenced
resourcefulness. The mentors' services were also offered to students entering with 2.0 GPA. While
some of these students signed on to work with a mentor, they did not consistently communicate with
their Ally; perhaps they were not yet prepared to build this type of relationship. Starting the Fall 2007
semester, Allies will be available for several pools of students, using a faculty/staff referral system and
a career-oriented matching system.
Online Tutoring
This program is offered free to students in a small number of high-enrollment entry courses. These are
classes that emphasize formulas and operations such as computing, accounting, finance; and some
classes with labs such as biology. Each online tutor serves multiple sections of a course and have their
own WebTycho classrooms. Students are automatically rostered into the tutor's room, including
students in face-to-face classes. The program is small so data is not yet significant; however early
findings suggest that students who may have potentially failed the course ultimately complete the
course with low but passing grades. Analysis of student questions reveals that it is often the mechanics
of a course that hinder a student, such as how to use a specialized calculator, get past a firewall, or
navigate a technical textbook.
Student Clubs and Honor Societies
These are considered a retention asset because research shows that involved students are more likely
to persist in their studies. In addition, many UMUC students have mentioned feeling isolated in their
distance studies and they desire the same social and professional networking benefits enjoyed by
students at traditional universities. WebTycho classrooms are used for these Clubs and are facilitated
by faculty and student leaders. Honor societies are embedded in the Study Groups area so that only
eligible students can visit these societies. We are proud to be the members of several nationally
recognized societies such as Alpha Sigma Lambda, Phi Alpha Theta, and Sigma Tau Delta. While a few
of our clubs have existed for many years, most are new and we are just beginning to evaluate student
participation and the content of student-initiated postings. Early findings again show that the
opportunity to engage with peers and to discuss career-related issues with faculty and outside experts
is very important to our students.
If you are interested in being involved or finding out more about these programs and how to direct
your students to them, contact the Center for Student Success at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) .
About the Author(s)
Dr. Sharon Morgenthaler serves as Director of Academic Success in the School of Undergraduate Studies at University of
Maryland University College. In this capacity, she develops programming and support services for students, including
high-achieving students, underprepared students, students new to higher education, and other special needs populations.
Prior to this position, Dr. Morgenthaler worked in alternative high schools with youth with social, emotional and learning
disabilities. She also has many years of experience leading large tutoring and mentoring corps; grant development; and direct
instruction in adult literacy, critical thinking and study skills. Dr. Morgenthaler has resided in the metropolitan region for over
25 years. She obtained her Doctoral Degree at American University in Education Administration and her Master?s Degree at
The University of the District of Columbia in Reading Specialization.
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A Perspective on Faculty-Student Communication for Distance Education - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
A Perspective on Faculty-Student Communication for Distance Education
Laurie Hulcher
Assistant Director for Graduate Student Relations
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: January-February 2007
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-communication
In the electronic environment the written personae is everything. While lectures,
texts, and supplemental materials constitute the body of knowledge for the
classroom experience, the words and language of faculty communication, through
outreach, response, feedback, and questioning are its heart. In a time-honored
article for the American Association for Higher Education, student development
theorists, Arthur Chickering and Stephen Ehrmann advance Chickering’s classic
"Seven Principles" approach to higher education by supporting the effective use of
communication technologies. The primary principal focuses on quality student-faculty
interaction. "Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of class is a most
important factor in student motivation and involvement. Faculty concern helps students get through
rough times and keep on working" (Chickering & Ehrmann, 1996). Regarding the use of technology
such as email, they add in part, "It is often easier to discuss values and personal concerns in writing
than orally, since inadvertent or ambiguous nonverbal signals are not so dominant" (Chickering &
Ehrmann, 1996). So, considering the range and diversity of cultural, educational, and professional
backgrounds of students in programs designed for working adults, how can faculty 'style' their written
communication so that it is not only beneficial and motivating, but supports growth and well-being?
First, some background on non-traditional students
Working in the middle of the twentieth century, Erik Erikson was the first educational psychologist to
extend the theories of development across the span of a lifetime. Under Erikson’s theory, at each stage
of life the individual is presented with a personal crisis, spurred by internal or external factors, and they
must make a choice about the next path to take in their life. According to Erikson’s theory, an
important stage occurs during the middle adult years, known as generativity vs. stagnation. Here the
person is presented with the need or opportunity to make changes that will affect not only him/her self,
but also future generations. These changes may include new job or retirement or layoff; new lifestyle;
new residence; new family structure; or new personal goals. So there are decisions to be made: shall I
make the leap, do what it takes, reach for the stars, hunker down, cut back, or keep on? However,
when a person chooses changes and if he or she is successful, there are many gains: new skills, new
opportunities, higher self-esteem, and more confidence to address future challenges (Hamrick, Evans,
& Schuh, 2002, p. 34-35).
1.
Graduate schools dedicated to non-traditional adult students have a unique situation. Here the mission
is to support adult learners: those who have made the critical choice to attempt change, to meet their
challenges and opportunities by earning advanced degrees and certificates, and to seek the personal
and professional rewards these degrees and certificates will bring.
2.
Remember, that despite making the important positive decision to return to school for an advanced
degree, many non-traditional students face both internal and external stressors because of the
perception that the timing of their graduate education may not be age or life-stage appropriate.
Life-course theorists of student development hold forth that life-events such as returning to college
3.
A Perspective on Faculty-Student Communication for Distance Education - DE Oracle
"off-time" necessitate additional levels of support if the outcome is to be a positive one (Hamrick et al.,
2002, p. 41-42).
Adult students, while generally very enthusiastic about the opportunity to attend graduate school, may
see their enthusiasm diminish once they become deeply involved in the competing time demands of
school, work, and family. They are usually juggling multiple life activities and must learn to allocate
their time accordingly. Further, the stress of competing time demands when coupled with any other
classroom conflict, may lead students to use a more confrontational communication style. Students
need positive assistance to realize their readiness level, understand their limitations, and then grow
academically.
4.
Many non-traditional students return to school from long careers in the managerial arena. Sometimes
these students have difficulty letting go of the management role and realizing that classroom
management is in the purview of the faculty member teaching the course. This is not an anomaly.
Meanwhile, other non-traditional students have had many years of passive career experience. They
need to learn to face challenges and accept responsibility for the actions that will bring about their
success.
5.
Students look for support from representatives of the University with who they are in most frequent
contact – the faculty member teaching course. Therefore, growth and development, both personally
and academically, will come from positive communication experiences with faculty.
6.
Tips for Positive Communication
Faculty-student communication can be a sensitive activity, especially if it involves bad news, conflict, or
confrontation. The most valuable type of communication is not only helpful, but reflects empathy for
the student and his/her situation. Problematic communication can be a result of anything from a bad
hair day to low self-esteem, poor judgment, language deficiency, home or work problems, or an
inability to cope with classroom schedules or materials. Above all, remain objective and allow the
student to state his or her concerns. Once you are sure you know what the student wants, you can
respond with specific information, directions, or reassurance.
Here are some communication tips:
Say something positive, even if it is just to thank the student for writing.
Try: "Thank you for taking the time to write."
Or: "Here’s where you earned points for this assignment…."
Acknowledge the student's perspective.
Try: "I understand that you are having some difficulty with this [assignment, course,
deadline]."
Or: "Looks like you’re finding […] problematic."
State the facts without making it personal.
Try: "When posting a response for conferences the conventions to follow are…."
Avoid: "I'd like to suggest that your difficulty in following the directions for this assignment
may signify a lack of ability to handle the subject matter."
Avoid: "It's inappropriate for you to question my judgment."
Don't defend your program or qualifications. Respond productively rather than defensively.
Try: "Let's see what can be done to resolve your concerns about the class schedule."
Or: "I appreciate your input about (willingness to speak out about, feedback for improving,
etc.) the class. It’s true that we are covering a significant amount of material in this 15-week
semester."
Avoid: "This course has been part of our curriculum for the past 10 years and no one has ever
A Perspective on Faculty-Student Communication for Distance Education - DE Oracle
complained before."
Avoid: "I have been a professional in the […] field for more than 15 years, and I am certainly
qualified to teach this class."
Check your reaction. Remain calm; don't argue or respond to an angry email with more anger.
Try: "It's true that I have not posted your grade for the midterm exam yet. I read your exam
and I will post the grade with feedback by tomorrow evening."
Avoid: "Your assertion that I am not attentive to my students is clearly uncalled for. I will get
to your exam as soon as I can.!"
Remain on topic; don't flame the situation.
Try: "I understand that your grade for Question 2 was not what you expected. Although you
were able to earn partial credit, the problems were…."
Avoid: "Your response to Question 2 was horribly substandard."
Recognize when it's time to end the discourse.
Once you have given all the information and direction that you can, it may be time to bring an end to a
back-and-forth discussion.
Try: Repetition -- restate what you said earlier, perhaps with further clarifying language.
Once the receiver understands that the message remains the same, it's likely that he or she
will cease writing. For example, "As I mentioned in my last email...."
Try: Closure – Summarize the discussion and let the person know that you understand all
his/her points.
Try: Referral – If the student insists on escalating the matter it may be time to find another
person to handle the issue. Contact your Program Director or Chair for information on
responding to the student's request.
Case Scenarios
Students write to their instructors with questions, comments, complaints, and requests for help with
their academic and personal situations. Most students are very professional in their written
interaction. However, sometimes students exhibit problematic behavior in their correspondence --
bullying, anger, indecisiveness, fault-finding – to name a few. Read each of these scenarios and decide
how you might respond, in order to support the student and help to bring about an appropriate
resolution.
Case #1
You receive the following message from Student A: "Dear Professor: I just noticed my grades on the
first two assignments and they are really low. There are so many things going on in my life. I am a
single parent. I have two young children and I work full-time. You probably won’t find any student
more dedicated than I am. I really want to get a good grade in this class. What should I do?" What is
your response?
Case #2
Student B spends the first month of the semester developing an outline and annotated bibliography for
a research paper that is due close to the end of the semester and is weighted at 20% of the final
grade. When you receive the work you realize that Student B is clearly off-topic to the assignment,
although the work is related to the subject matter of the course. Directing the student to pursue a new
line of research means he/she would need to start over. However, if you allow the student to continue,
A Perspective on Faculty-Student Communication for Distance Education - DE Oracle
he/she is risking a low grade. What feedback will you give?
Case #3
You posted the Monday-Monday midterm exam and it is Thursday evening. You receive the following
high priority email from Student B: "Dear Professor, I'm writing to you because I have a problem with
the exam. I didn't know that it was going to involve so much research and writing time – much more
than in any other course! Today my boss told me that I have to leave for business travel on Sunday. I
Probably won't have a good internet connection. That gives me two less days than the other students
in the class. Surely, I can't finish it in time and it just wouldn't be fair. Can I have more time after I
get back from the trip? That seems reasonable to me. I hope you can be reasonable too. Thanks very
much." How will you respond?
References
Chickering, A. W., & Ehrmann, S. C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever.
AAHE Bulletin, October 24, 2006. Retrieved October 24, 2006, from http://2md.osu.edu/edtech
/pdfs/seven_principles.pdf (http://2md.osu.edu/edtech/pdfs/seven_principles.pdf)
Hamrick, F. A., Evans, N. J., & Schuh, J. H. (2002). Foundations of student affairs practice. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bibliography
Graduate School of Management & Technology: Career Forward (2006). Adelphi: University of
Maryland University College. Retrieved October 24, 2006, from http://www.umuc.edu/prog/gsmt
/gsmt_brochure.pdf (http://www.umuc.edu/prog/gsmt/gsmt_brochure.pdf)
Christiansen, M. D., Cochran, S. V., & Corkery, J. M. (2000). Dealing with difficult people: A training
program. Iowa City: University Counseling Service, The University of Iowa. Retrieved October 24,
2006, from www.uiowa.edu/~ucs/difficult.pdf (http://www.uiowa.edu/~ucs/difficult.pdf)
Elkind, D. (April 5, 1970). Erik erikson's eight ages of man: One man in his time plays many
psychosocial parts. New York Times, pp. 207. Retrieved October 24, 2006, from ProQuest Historical
Newspapers database.
Neugarten, B. L. (1979). Time, age, and the life cycle. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 136(7),
887.
About the Author(s)
Laurie Hulcher is the Assistant Director for Graduate Student Relations in the office of the Dean and Vice Provost. She works
to foster positive interaction with students and to resolve academic appeals and petitions.
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Using Classroom Awareness to Help Foster Online Community - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Using Classroom Awareness to Help Foster Online Community
Susan Ko
Director
Center for Teaching and Learning
Published: September-October 2006
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Facilitating-student-communities
UMUC's online courses are primarily asynchronous, with communication centered around the
Conference area. Use of the chat function of WebTycho is governed by the UMUC guideline that chat
should generally not be a required instructional activity since it is often difficult or impossible for certain
students to participate, due to the global nature of our student body and the barriers that synchronous
communication may pose to working adult students. Yet as convenient and flexible as asynchronous
communication is, there is evidence that for at least some learners, a sense of immediacy through
synchronous communication tools can contribute to a sense of connectedness and community. This
article addresses some options for casual synchronous communication within WebTycho apart from any
formal instructional use of such tools.
In WebTycho, chat is a feature that is automatically enabled as the default status in the classroom.
That means when you receive your new online classroom, chat is automatically "on" and usable. When
other people enter the same chat room, a user can also double-click on any of the names listed in the
"People Here" list, and open a new chat window accessible to only to the user and the person whose
name is clicked to create an Instant Message-like environment.
The feature called Classroom Awareness (also referred to as Class Awareness) allows the classroom
user to see who is accessing the classroom at the same time, whether or not the user is in the chat
room. Again, the user can click on a name in a "People Here" list to open up an Instant Message-like
window. But unlike the chat room, the default setting for this feature is that it is disabled. So unless a
faculty member turns it "on," students will not be able to make use of it.
Statistics (courtesy of LeADS) from Spring Semester, 2006 show that nearly 86% of the undergraduate
classrooms and 81% of graduate classrooms had a chat room enabled in their classrooms while only
14.7% of undergraduate classrooms and 18.7% of graduate classrooms had classroom awareness
enabled. Obviously, the different default positions of these two features may have an effect on their
availability. It is also the case that some faculty may not be aware of how these settings work in
conjunction with Account Preferences or how their availability might foster a sense of student
community and personalization of the online classroom.
Controlling Settings in WebTycho
In WebTycho there are options that can be set by the faculty member for the classroom (through the
Faculty Center), but all users, faculty and students also have their own options under Account
Preferences. It's important to remember that faculty settings in the classroom override those chosen by
individual students under Account Preferences. So no matter how many individual students have
Classroom Awareness turned "on" based on their own individual Account Preferences, if their instructor
has turned off the classroom option, then no-one in the classroom will be able to take advantage of
Classroom Awareness.
If the Classroom Awareness is "on" then it permits students to contact other "visible" students (or a
Using Classroom Awareness to Help Foster Online Community - DE Oracle
visible instructor) for an Instant Messaging type of private contact. By double-clicking on any of the
names listed in the "People Here" list, a user can open a window accessible to only him or her and the
person whose name is clicked.
Accommodating Faculty Concerns
Some faculty are concerned that students will unnecessarily distract them while they are working to
post materials or read messages in the classroom and at the same time faculty are anxious not to
appear to rebuff the students. Therefore, they hesitate to turn on Classroom Awareness in the
classroom. What they may not realize is that they can achieve the same result of "invisibility" by
turning the feature off only in their own Account Preferences, and enabling it, when, if at all, they wish
to be approachable to students via Classroom Awareness.
Benefits of Classroom Awareness Feature
Even if faculty do not intend to use chat for instructional purposes, they should be aware that students
might want to use it to socialize or confer with other students. In addition, students of all ages, but
especially younger students, are accustomed to communicating through Instant Messaging. Many such
communications are not only to share information but also can often be affective in nature. Classroom
Awareness imparts a sense of immediacy to the classroom and allows one to know who else is present
in the classroom at the same time. Many students and also faculty enjoy seeing that another person is
present in the classroom at the same time, especially when it may be late at night or early morning.
Students are apt to strike up a conversation or even partner on a project with a student he or she
recognizes as sharing the same late night or early morning study schedule.
Since each student can enable or disable Classroom Awareness in his or her account preference setting,
those students who do not want to be "seen" in the classroom can opt out. Faculty who enable
Classroom Awareness can be helpful by pointing out these rules from the start of the class so that
students have an understanding of the choices available to them.
Considerations for Faculty Use
For faculty who make themselves, however selectively and cautiously, visible under Classroom
Awareness, there are added benefits of potentially reaching students who may not engage with the
faculty member via other means.
My own experience while teaching a course last year was that there were a few students who seemed
reticent about asking questions via the conference discussion or even email. It was as though those
two methods were too deliberate and freighted with formal intentions, seemingly requiring special
preparation that seemed out of proportion to their humble questions.
One of the students contacted me via Classroom Awareness to ask what turned out to be important
questions that revealed a lack of understanding about the requirements of several assignments. On one
occasion, he was on the right track, but simply lacked confidence. In that situation, the casual
encounter aspect of using Classroom Awareness made him feel more at ease in addressing such
questions to me. It also provided an opportunity for me to quickly confirm a fact, but also to remind
him to follow up by re-reading the assignment instructions.
Yet another student, seldom active in discussion during the first weeks of the course, seemed to enjoy
clicking on my name in order to simply say hello, signal that he was enjoying the class "despite all the
work" or otherwise trade seemingly inconsequential remarks with me, his instructor. These exchanges
were neither lengthy nor overly distracting to me. They seemed the equivalent of passing a student in
the hallway and stopping to exchange greetings. But I was pleased to discover that the student began
to participate more actively in the official conference discussions.
Such informal, serendipitous exchanges, whether between faculty and student or between students can
Using Classroom Awareness to Help Foster Online Community - DE Oracle
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provide a much needed opportunity for personalization and community in an online course, adding
interest and motivation for further participation. While not every student needs such contact, it may be
worthwhile to provide it for the few to whom it may mean the difference between a cold, alienating
classroom and a warm, supporting environment.
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Synchronous Online Conferencing - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Synchronous Online Conferencing
Stella Porto
Program Director
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: January-February 2006
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Synchronous-communication
Anywhere, at a certain time…
Synchronous distance learning takes place when learners and/or instructors are in different
geographical locations, but are able to interact (or meet) in real-time using specific enabling
technology. Duckworth (2001) refers to the term "live e-learning" (p.1) to describe the use of Internet
technologies to "provide synchronous lessons between an instructor and a group of learners" (p.1).
This is, therefore, an interactive real-time experience, which might include text-based discussions,
audio, video, document and/or application sharing.
Many distant students report feelings of isolation and loneliness in purely asynchronous online study
settings due to the lack of immediate social interactions typically found in face-to-face instructional
settings (Kurtz & Friedman, para. 12, 1999). The inclusion of synchronous instruction as part of a
holistic online learning environment helps to mitigate this condition while creating a greatly enhanced
teaching and learning experience through active engagement and spontaneous exchanges (Stacey,
2003).
The use of any synchronous technologies requires careful preparation and planning, given that it is
harder to fix problems of any nature on-the-fly. By the same token, since the unexpected is virtually
unavoidable, instructor and students should keep a good level of flexibility during their meetings,
allowing for just-in-time changes and accommodations of the pre-planned agenda.
Online synchronous technologies
Many kinds of online synchronous technologies are available today for instructional purpose, including
online chat, simple shared whiteboards and fully integrated synchronous learning systems. One
common theme when analyzing and comparing these technologies is the tradeoff between the provision
of high-touch interaction and the easiness of use. The decision of which synchronous system to use
should be based on more than its technical capabilities alone. Organizational considerations, audience
characteristics, instructional goals, and purchase and maintenance costs, all play a critical role in
determining a best-fit synchronous learning solution. The system should be intuitive enough for users
to become productive with little or no training.
An online chat is an online communication method, where people "talk by broadcasting messages to
people on the same forum in real time" (Definition of chat room, para. 1). This online forum is thus
called a 'chat room', which might be moderated, but more frequently are not. Chat rooms are different
than discussion groups, which are not based on real-time communication. In many cases, there is
some overlap between the functions of a chat room and those of Instant Messaging (IM) systems. The
latter have more recently included in their services the same capabilities offered by original chat rooms.
Whiteboards add flexibility to collaborative initiatives, allowing participants to draw and write in a
common space. Moreover, whiteboards mimic closely the traditional classroom model, where an
Synchronous Online Conferencing - DE Oracle
instructor use slides or the blackboard to demonstrate, illustrate and explain content to students.
Alone, whiteboards can be limiting as a communication tool, but when coupled with some other
communication medium, be it a chat or audio, the whiteboard becomes powerful in broadcasting ideas,
organizing meetings, generating collaborative documents and explaining content in depth.
Higher-end synchronous learning systems provide a whole gamut of integrated features, including
multi-way Voice over IP (VoIP), whiteboard, application sharing, one or two-way video, instant
messaging, and "signaling" (the ability to visually request to be acknowledged). These features all
enable the learner to actively engage with the instructor, one another, and the instructional material
itself. In this type of environment, it is not uncommon for learners to experience the same level of
empathy and relationship with their instructor and fellow students as that found in a traditional
face-to-face instructional setting.
The UMUC context and experimentation
Given our mission as an open university, access is a top priority for all our programs. Thus, online
synchronous learning is not envisioned as a substitution for the online asynchronous mode used in our
current online classrooms. It should be considered, however, as an enhancement, providing students
with a richer online experience and attending to the diversity of the non-traditional students’ learning
styles. Currently, at UMUC, the WebTycho online chat room is a feature available to all instructors.
More recently, the Tycho chat room has been enhanced with a simple whiteboard in a pilot testing
context. WebTycho also offers IM capability through its "class awareness" embedded feature. Another
existing possibility for synchronous interaction is the teleconferences, which are done via phone
bridges. During the last two terms, the Graduate School of Management & Technology has also been
conducting another pilot experience in the use of two distinct online synchronous learning systems,
namely namely Blackboard Collaborate (http://www.blackboard.com/platforms/collaborate/overview.aspx)
(formally Wimba and Elluminate) and Adobe Connect (http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html)
(formally Macromedia Breeze). Thus, our experience with synchronous technologies is still in its
infancy, but is steadily being developed. These pilot experiments allow a smaller group of faculty
members to share and discuss the viability of such technologies, as well as suggest efficient ways of
integrating them to our current Tycho classrooms.
The literature suggests the use of synchronous technologies in conjunction with asynchronous learning
mode through different approaches as described below.
Motivational and/or Introductory - Conducted as synchronous audio/graphic presentations, these
meetings are primarily for lecturing and initial contact with the material, but also provide an important
means of overcoming the isolation of the distant student (Tomas, 1997).
Discussion and/or Q&A - Presented in a seminar format, students must prepare in advance to
discuss prescribed readings and problems. Utilizing multi-way voice over IP (VoIP), "hand-raising"
features, whiteboard technology, and streaming video, these sessions are designed to "encourage the
exchange of ideas and learning experiences" (Tomas, para. 8, 1997).
Group work/Collaborative Problem Solving - Through this collaborative problem solving
experience (Nelson in Merrill, 2000), students engage in active learning in a constructivist learning
environment using the synchronous tool’s application sharing, whiteboard, and VoIP features.
Wrap-up/Assessment - These meetings will rely upon the synchronous tool’s audio/graphic,
whiteboard, polling, multi-way VoIP, and "hand-raising" features to complete each module and assess
students’ learning outcomes, as well as assessment of the effectiveness of the synchronous meetings.
The UMUC on-going pilot experiments have shown effective use of synchronous technologies in the
following interactive activities (which inherently include the different approaches described above):
Synchronous Online Conferencing - DE Oracle
Staff and faculty meetings;
Training sessions for staff and faculty;
Instructor office hours;
Instructor intervention with team problems (in case of group projects);
Instructor presentations (lecturing);
Guest presentations and interviews;
Instructor demonstrations (of software use, websites, problem solving, etc.);
Instructor-supervised team breakouts and presentations;
Non-supervised team meetings and presentation rehearsals;
Recording of students in language courses.
What have we learned so far?
We define our lessons learned in two major categories, namely at a macro and at a micro level. Those
at a macro level relate to lessons that have potential impact on policy making on the use of such
technologies. Such policies implicitly include expectations that need to be shared with faculty members
who decide to include such enhancements in their classrooms. The micro level category includes
lessons related to the planning and management of the individual sessions.
Lessons-learned by category
Macro-level
There is a need to be sensitive to students’ access limitations. Thus, synchronous activities should not
be graded or required (unless the class has been advertised as including those requirements).
Students should also have alternative means to acquire the information/knowledge discussed within
the synchronous environment.
There is a need for a routine in the use of the synchronous tool. It should be introduced to students
early in the program and should also be considered as part of different courses and degrees.
A set of standards needs to be developed for those using the technology as a way to maintain
consistency.
Pedagogically speaking, such technology is important for courses that include quantitative content, as
well as for business students, for whom remote conferencing tools are a part of their real-world
professional environment.
Besides the enhancement of content diffusion, synchronous interaction allows for an increased level of
concern felt by students in their one-on-one interaction with instructors.
Micro-level
Within a certain course, synchronous technologies should be used more than once, given the need for
adaptation in order to achieve full efficiency of the available tool;
When using audio enhanced tools, which include text-based communication channels, incoming
messages should be read out loud, to keep students in sync;
The use of online synchronous learning systems can be demanding on the instructor, given the variety
of tools that can be used concurrently;
Synchronous sessions should last between an hour and hour and a half in length; and
Students should be encouraged to acquire microphones in order to be able to engage actively in the
audio-enabled discussions.
Conclusion
The addition of a synchronous instruction capability to establish an accessible, inclusive, blended
learning medium optimizes existing asynchronous course content and creates a sound foundation for
active learning by combining the best of both media in a learner-centered online instructional
environment.
Synchronous Online Conferencing - DE Oracle
To be truly effective, however, the institution must recognize that "electronic collaborative learning
requires instructors to rethink and change their own assumptions about teaching and learning" (Knolle,
p. 17, 2002). A key characteristic of synchronous interaction is its ability to motivate learner
participation and involvement through active learning techniques (Siantz & Pugh, n.d.), leading to
increased information retention rates, in some cases from 10% to 75% or more (Barclay, 2001).
As overall Internet bandwidth increases, synchronous tools will demonstrate escalating presence in the
DE arena. It is, therefore, mandatory that instructors understand how to explore such tools for learning
purposes, while identifying when they should be used.
References
Barclay, K. (2001). Humanizing learning at a distance: Ph.D. Dissertation. Kathleen Barclay, Saybrook
Graduate School. Retrieved November 10, 2004: http://www.stratvisions.com/dissertation
/dissertation.html (URL Defunct)
Duckworth, C.L. (2001). ISD for live e-learning. Retrieved on September 25, 2004 from
http://www.learningcircuits.com/2001/apr2001/duckworth.html(URL Defunct) Article can be found at:
http://www.astd.org/LC/2001/0401_duckworth.htm (http://www.astd.org/LC/2001
/0401_duckworth.htm)
Knolle, J. (2003). Identifying the best practices for using HorizonLive to teach in the synchronous
online environment pp. X-XI & pp.32-59. Retrieved November 9, 2004: http://www.csuchico.edu
/~jknolle/research/thesis/jknolle-thesis.pdf (http://www.csuchico.edu/~jknolle/research/thesis/jknolle-thesis.
pdf) (http://www.csuchico.edu/~jknolle/Thesis)
Kurtz, G. and Friedman, B. (1999). A Holistic, Individual, Technologically-Mediated Learning
Environment at the Open University of Israel. A paper presented at the ICDE Conference, Vienna
Siantz, J. E. and Pugh. R. (n.d.). IPSE - using interactive video for instruction. Retrieved November 18,
2004: http://old.ihets.org/consortium/ipse/fdhandbook/uiv.html (URL Defunct) Article can be found at:
http://itdl.org/Journal/Aug_07/article01.htm (http://itdl.org/Journal/Aug_07/article01.htm)
Stacey, P. (2003). Online pedagogies for active learning. Retrieved October 31, 2004:
http://www.bctechnology.com/statics/pstacey-oct1703.html (URL Defunct) Article can be found at:
http://paulstacey.pbworks.com/f/pstacey-oct1703.htm (http://paulstacey.pbworks.com/f/pstacey-oct1703.
htm) (http://www.bctechnology.com/statics/pstacey-oct1703.html)
Tomas, P. (1997). Electronic audio-graphic tutorials: a teacher perspective.
Retrieved October 2, 2004: Web Tycho, OMDE 631 Course Content
WordIQ.com,(n.d.). Definition of chat room. Retrieved Sep 25, 2004, from WordIQ.com Web site:
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/CHAT (URL Defunct)
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Using Student Feedback to Improve Your Teaching - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Using Student Feedback to Improve Your Teaching
Susan Ko
Director
Center for Teaching and Learning
Published: January-February 2006
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Assessment-feedback-rubrics
Self-review and continual improvement of one's teaching is an important factor in maintaining your
enthusiasm for teaching and in your own professional growth as a faculty member. In addition to
resources for self-review such as the Expectations documents student feedback can be a valuable
tool in improving teaching effectiveness. What types of student feedback might be most useful to us as
faculty?
Feedback from Assessment
Quizzes, papers, assignments, and online discussions all provide evidence to you of student learning,
but they may also provide evidence about how well your techniques and approaches are working in the
class. It's important to take the time to track how your students are doing in the course long before
major exams. Analyzing the results of these assessments early on in the class enables you to note
patterns of difficulties or misunderstandings students might have class materials and tasks. Such
analysis can provide clues about how you might alter your approach, and whether or not you need to
offer more detailed explanations, additional resources, or examples.
In considering proctored exams and final assignments, analyze and categorize the kinds of mistakes or
shortcomings as well as successes evidenced by the student work. Consider what changes, if any, you
might make in future sessions of the course.
Feedback Elicited by Faculty Questions
Don't wait until the class is over to elicit feedback from your students. During the class, you can ask
students how they are doing, what types of assistance they need, and what resources are proving
useful to them. Don't hesitate to ask questions tailored to the process of completing specific
assignments. Depending on the type of question, responses can be sent to you individually or posted in
the conference area. When faculty seek to learn about their students' progress and reaction to class
materials and assignments, students interpret this as a demonstration of interest and concern and it
may also motivate them to do better in the class.
Some examples of these types of questions are the following:
"Are the textbook readings providing you with sufficient background information? If not, please let me
know which topics in particular could benefit from more resource readings or my own commentary."
"Which assignments are proving to be the most helpful to you in understanding the key concepts?"
"Are my explanations and how-to instructions sufficiently detailed?"
"Are there any particular writing issues with which you are struggling?"
"What problems or questions are you encountering at this stage in the assignment?"
"Is it clear to you what is expected in regard to your participation in this online class? Please read
through the participation rubric and post any questions you might have in the conference area."
"Is anyone having difficulty finding the appropriate library resources to complete the assignment?"
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Feedback from End-of-class Course Evaluation Data
In reviewing the end-of-class evaluation data from students in your course, look for patterns (both
negative and positive) consistent with other classes you have taught. In regard to negative comments
or low scores, is there any particular assignment or teaching approach to which you think these might
be connected? Pay as much attention to evidence of what you did right as to any negative comments
you might find. Avoid obsessing over small differences that have little statistical meaning such as
scoring a 3.8 as compared with a 3.9.
Naturally, in regard to evaluation data, you will want to distinguish between aspects of the course not
under your control (for example, course modules) and those for which you shoulder the major
responsibility. But even if you did not choose the textbook or create the syllabus for your class, you can
still exercise some measure of control through your instructions, assignments, and creation of
commentary. Your students expect you to contribute your insights and to provide guidance for all
aspects of the course. Exploring evaluation data might suggest ways for you to assist your students.
Finally, compare the end-of-class evaluation data with overall student performance in your class.
Evaluate your own effectiveness in regard to strong and weak points. You will want to recognize your
strong points and replicate them in future courses, and come up with a plan for improving your own
performance in weak areas. In identifying the areas where students seem to have the most difficulty,
consider whether or not there is something you might be able to do to improve both student learning
and satisfaction. If you find that you might benefit from some targeted training, consult the Workshop
Referral Resource (http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/ctla/ws_fa05/workshop_resource.pdf) to see if there is a
faculty development workshop that might meet your needs.
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The Hidden Value of Virtual Teams (Part I) - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
The Hidden Value of Virtual Teams (Part I)
Lucia Worthington
Collegiate Faculty
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: May-June 2006
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Group-team-projects
Part I |Part
II
The School of Undergraduate Studies' Business and Management department requires that all BMGT
students do group work, recognizing this reality of the world of business. Students rarely welcome
group work until they understand its value, are coached in creating a team structure, and learn
techniques that make their projects easier and that result in teams that are productive and "sing." This
two-part article describes one professor's approach to helping students see the hidden value of virtual
teams and work effectively together.
Part 1 (below) outlines the process Professor Lucia Worthington uses to manage, motivate, and
encourage her students into sharing and learning as much as they can from the group assigments
required in her class.
Part II, discusses support materials, monitoring and feedback, managing dysfunctional teams, and
assessment and feedback.
State the Mandate
Students in my management principles (BMGT364) and strategic management (BMGT495) courses
know from day one that group work will count for 20% of the course work and that there are no
options but to learn and participate in the process. This mandate to comply is simply stated in the
syllabus and serves as a contractual obligation to learn and apply management principles in a practical,
useful, and hopefully, energizing way.
Overcome Resistance
Experience has taught me that many students have had bad experiences doing group projects, having
had to carry a major work load while team members who didn't do their fair share have gotten an easy
or free ride by getting the same grade as the one(s) who did most of the work. In the first week of
class, I acknowledge grudges and bad past experiences about team work with a class conference that
asks each student for the best tips on managing teams. This brings students into the course by
engaging them to think about what did not work and makes them responsible for finding good solutions
on making teams productive and holding team members accountable. Constructive venting among the
class in the first week uncovers dysfunctional situations, offers useful solutions, and creates ownership
of these solutions.
The conference is valued at 2% points of the course grade and counts towards the group work
percentage as well. This grade incentive tends to produce 100% participation, and we are off to a good
start.
The Hidden Value of Virtual Teams (Part I) - DE Oracle
Clarify the Value
Most students do not know why team work is important and how it can benefit them in their careers.
To motivate them and create incentives, I outline the following points:
In today's world, teams are necessary for problem solving because the world has become too complex
for one person to know it all.
Employers value team players and more so if they are experienced virtual team players.
Effective teams balance the strengths and weaknesses of their members by buffering the weaknesses
of each with the talents and strengths of all.
Teams distribute the work load and expedite the project. Example: One member may spend a week on
a case study while five members can complete the case study in a day and have fun as they gain
momentum.
Teams tend to be more creative when members learn to work together and explore new ways of doing
things.
Virtual teams decrease travel and labor costs.
Teams can help build and maintain communities, create synergy, and increase stakeholder
commitment.
Use Good Management Principles
Teams use the four management functions that are fundamental to the course and management in
general. They are:
1. Planning
2. Organizing
3. Leading
4. Controlling
The four management functions also provide the structure for the team process.
Establish the Structure
Structure drives processes and gives students a sense of control when they know how the team game
is to be played.
Group Formation
Size: I prefer odd numbers for tie breakers and five students per team. Much depends on the class size
as well, but five is ideal. I may increase some teams to six if class sizes are not divisible by five.
Composition: I prefer heterogeneous groups with a mix in age, gender, ethnicity, maturity and skill
levels. Care should be taken to disburse ESL students and not have too many weak English speakers in
one group.
Member Expectations: Students are reminded to read the group process section that looks at each
stage of group formation to get a reality check on their own group formation process. The processes
are forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning.
Structural Support
When I set up the Webtycho virtual Study Group area, I do the following:
Set up each group area by name and number using up-beat names such as, "The Transportation in
Motion Team" or "The Big Bucks Finance Consortium." Or I ask groups to choose their own image-making
name; this helps the bonding process.
Post a recap of the group assignments in each group area.
The Hidden Value of Virtual Teams (Part I) - DE Oracle
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Propose a structure, to include
Team member self-introductions, to include strengths and weaknesses and time availability.
Organization: Suggest that each team create a separate topic for each group project and subtopics, to
include tasks, timelines, and group assessment.
Communications: Remind students to work within their group areas and keep all communications
posted in order to archive the process. Emails to each other are to be used sparingly, and all email
should be posted in a separate conference titled "Email Archives" so that a record of all interaction is
maintained. Chats should also be recorded and posted in the group conference as part of the
communications record.
Let teams know I will "stop by" occasionally, but they are to be self-managed and learn to manage the
process independently.
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The Global Faculty Forum Initiative_ Building Disciplinary Communities Worldwide - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
The Global Faculty Forum Initiative: Building Disciplinary Communities
Worldwide
Matthew Prineas
Academic Director, English
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: November-December 2006
Category: » University-showcase » Classes-programs
Purpose of the Initiative
The Global Faculty Forum Initiative is an effort to expand the scope of the School of Undergraduate
Studies (SUS) Faculty 999 Classrooms (http://polaris.umuc.edu/de/faculty999/guidelines_home.html) to
encompass all three UMUC geographical divisions (Asia, Europe, and Stateside). The Global 999's will
be taking over the functions of the familiar discipline specific WebTycho 999 faculty classrooms which
will continue to inform faculty members of news, announcements, and provide opportunities for
discussing issues with some new additions.
Origins and Progress of the Initiative
The concept of developing Global 999 classrooms emerged from discussions held at a Worldwide
Summit hosted in August 2005 by the School of Undergraduate Studies (SUS). Academic directors
from all three geographical divisions strongly endorsed the concept of a single 999 faculty classroom
per discipline that would bring together faculty worldwide around discussions of a shared discipline.
The Global Faculty Forum Initiative began in November, 2005, with a team that consisted of
representatives from each academic department in the School of Undergraduate Studies and
Instructional Support Specialists from the Center for Support of Instruction (CSI), Course
Development, and WebTycho. While the team faced a number of challenges, solutions were eventually
developed and a global template was finalized in July 2006. In many disciplines, overseas and stateside
faculty are already taking advantage of the new 999 classrooms. The goal of the Initiative is to
complete this process for all UMUC faculty worldwide by January 2007.
A Brief Tour of the Global 999 Template
In designing a single template for worldwide disciplinary groups, the development team needed to
reconcile the ideal of global discussions around a shared discipline with the realities of day-to-day
administrative functions. The brief tour of the different sections of the Global 999 standard template
reveals how the team accomplished this challenge.
Class Announcements
Faculty logging into their Global 999 classroom will notice an immediate difference in the look and
The Global Faculty Forum Initiative: Building Disciplinary Communities Worldwide - DE Oracle
functionality of the Class Announcement page. The screenshot illustrates the new design which allows
for "front page" announcements about curricular and disciplinary issues of concern to faculty
worldwide.
Links to separate geographical division pages take faculty to announcements about operational and
procedural matters specific to particular geographical divisions. The screenshot illustrates dated
announcements on the division-specific announcement pages are preceded by fixed links in the header
that take faculty to other university-wide announcement pages.
The Global Faculty Forum Initiative: Building Disciplinary Communities Worldwide - DE Oracle
Course Content
The Course Content area of the Global 999 template standardizes a variety of resources and links that
were previously scattered in various areas of the UMUC website. Faculty may also find an expanded
set of links that program directors are now able to incorporate with the flexibility in customizing
resources. The screenshot below illustrates an example of how the standard template gathers related
resources from several sources, while preserving administrative differences between the three
geographical divisions. Under the "Best Practices" link are such resources as the guidelines from CTL,
and other materials that may be specific to teaching a particular subject area.
The Global Faculty Forum Initiative: Building Disciplinary Communities Worldwide - DE Oracle
Conferences and Study Groups
Conferences and Study Group pages are not standardized, and the use of each will remain up to faculty
members to determine. Built into the template are separate Study Group areas for Adelphi, European,
and Asian division faculty; these distinct areas are intended to provide a conference area for
operational and administrative matters specific to each division. By contrast, study groups built around
curricular discussions (for example, of particular courses or of assessment efforts) are available to all
faculty teaching in the discipline, whether stateside or overseas.
Conclusion
The development of a standard template for Global 999's was a collaborative effort of program
directors, who over the years have crafted 999 classrooms with rich collections of resources to support
instruction and enable professional development. The disciplinary 999 classrooms have also served
faculty by gathering together in a single location various essential but otherwise scattered documents
and links on the UMUC website. Adopting and standardizing the best practices developed in previous
disciplinary 999 classrooms—while at the same time preserving the flexibility of directors and faculty to
shape the forum to their own needs—has been a principal aim of the Global Faculty Forum Initiative.
For more information, visit the Faculty 999 Classroom (http://polaris.umuc.edu/de/faculty999
/guidelines_home.html) page and take the tour.
About the Author(s)
Matthew Prineas is the Academic Director for English in the School of Undergraduate Studies. He received his PhD in English
language and literature from the University of Rochester and an M.A. in English from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
The Global Faculty Forum Initiative: Building Disciplinary Communities Worldwide - DE Oracle
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University of Maryland University College Graduate Schedule of Classes 2006 1-Spring
No full textUniversity of Maryland University College Graduate School of Management and Technology Spring 2006. Schedule of Classes. New Program in Health Administration Informatics. See p4. Free Events see page 6. www.umuc.ed