Online Student Support Online Student Support

1
Online Student Support Online Student Support

• NILRC/MITCO/ILCCO Meeting
• Shawnee Community College
• Thursday, April 10, 2008
• Patrice Hess, Director of Organizational Learning
• Illinois Central College
• phess_at_icc.edu 309-694-5295

2
Distance Ed History by Mode

• External/Site-Based (Chautauqua, NY 1874)
• Correspondence (Shorthand by Mail)
• Radio
• Television (Broadcast Cable)
• Television (Two-Way Interactive)
• Electronic Media (Video Tape, CD-ROM, DVD)
• Correspondence (Web-Based)
• Online (Asynchronous and Synchronous)
• Hybrid

3

• Extended Degree (celebrating 25 years in 2003, 30
  in 2008!)
• 1978-79, 14 students admitted (correspondence
  format)
• 1980 Distance learning newsletter, 24-hour
  answering service
• 1982 computer added for program administration,
  toll-free number for students
• 1984 teleconferencing
• 1991 faculty communicate with students via email
• 1992 library databases available online, a fax
  machine is purchased

http//www.uwplatt.edu/disted/25th/timeline.html
4

• Extended Degree (celebrating 25 years in 2003, 30
  in 2008!)
• 1994 first interactive television class,
  computer-mediated (print with email and chat),
  program home web page
• 1998 online courses
• 2000 online payment
• 2002 virtual student advisory board, new program
  website
• 2003 virtual graduation site (post office, gifts,
  alumni relations)

http//www.uwplatt.edu/disted/25th/timeline.html
5
Origin of Transparency

• Which came first?
• DL students
• DL services
• ICC Website redesign in 2001, online degree
  accreditation
• Future Students
• Current Students
• Virtual Students
• Today
• Future Students
• Current Students

6
What is Student Services?

• Western Cooperative for Educational
  Telecommunications (WCET)
• 2000-2002, Beyond the Administrative Core
  Creating Web-Based Student Services for Online
  Learners
• Kansas State University (KS), Kapiolani
  Community College (HI), and Regis University
  (CO) and SCT (Banner)
• U.S. Department of Educations Fund for the
  Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)
• Learning Anytime Anyplace Partnership (LAAP)
  program
• Guidelines to put student services online
  general direction recommended steps

7
http//wcet.info/services/studentservices/beyond/g
uidelines/overview.asp
8
From WCET one student a curriculumThe
Student-Centered Experience

• Customer Service initiatives?
• Not just for the Me-lennials who TXT
• Also for old people (like me) who ATM or have
  gotten accustomed to on-demand service and
  support
• If not Customer Service try using
  Student-Centered or Student Centeredness

9
Relationships vs. Transactions

• The computer knows my name perhaps a better
  experience than some in-person experiences!

10
Relationships vs. Transactions

• My iGoogle page knows when its raining.
• Many portals have widgets for news and weather.

11
Student-Centered Experience Design Elements

• Self-Service
• Personalized
• Interactive
• Just-in-Time
• Push and Pull
• Lifelong or as long as the student wants

12
Its Online

• This doesnt mean stop printing it, convert it to
  a PDF and link it to a web page
• Review, revise and reformat the information or
  message for effective, efficient and appealing
  online delivery
• Effective reformats
• Quick source guide or checklist
• Desktop video
• Interactive tutorial or simulation
• Forms linked to email submissions

13
Process orientation from student perspective, not
organizational structure

• From a students perspective or with the HELP of
  students, examine your application to
  graduation processes
• Are there policies that need to be changed to be
  more effective delivered online?
• Are process steps that can be eliminated?
• Is a paper audit required?
• Are signatures necessary?
• Does everyone, regardless of organizational
  structure, understand the process?

14
Process orientation from student perspective, not
organizational structure

• Step 2 Process Map
• Instructions
• Map the process with as much detail as possible.
• Use yellow post-it note squares for process
  steps. If the step is decision point use a
  different (non-yellow) colored post-it note.
• Use arrows and lines to direct the flow.

15
Think click not brick.

• Innovation in Student Services
• p. 229

16
How Do We Know Its Working?

• Voice of the Customer, Voice of the Student to
  design services
• Feedback
• Community College Survey of Student Engagement
  (CCSSE)
• Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI)
• Proprietary Measures (data mining, departmental
  surveys, emails, verbatim)
• Commitment to use data and feedback to
  continuously improve

17
What Every DL Student Needs

• Tools information to make an informed decision
  about engaging in a distance learning course
• Readiness assessment, formal or informal
• Course requirements, instructor expectations
• Hardware and software requirements
• Understanding of rigor and time commitment
• Support services technical academic
• Plan B

18
How Every Faculty or Faculty Developer Can Help

• 100 Things Every Online Student Ought to Know
  (Christ and Ganey, 2007)
• 89 Things to Embed in the First 10 Days of an
  Online Class
• The Business of Online Learning Syllabi,
  Calendars, Policies and Procedures
• Illinois Online Network Quality Course Initiative
• ICC Course Recognition Program Rubric

19
Challenges

• Accuracy of content
• Teach the content, not the mode increased
  support for web-supported or web-enhanced
• Usernames and Passwords
• Proctoring, other activities requiring
  out-of-area supervision or engagement
• Online testing integrity, technical difficulties

20
ChallengeAccuracy of content

• Information is outdated
• Links are broken
• New information is required

21
Potential SolutionAccuracy of content

• Employ a cybrarian
• Automated library services time limits,
  authentication
• A real person
• Merriam-Webster Online Word of the Day December
  06, 2006
• cybrarian \sye-BRAIR-ee-un\ noun a person
  whose job is to find, collect, and manage
  information that is available on the World Wide
  Web
• Example Sentence The library provided an e-mail
  address to submit inquiries to the cybrarian.

http//dev.m-w.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Dec.06.200
6
22
ChallengeTeach the Content Not the Mode

• Correspondence how to use the mail
• Radio how to tune a station
• Broadcast TV how to turn the channel
• Interactive TV how to make friends with the
  proctor and avoid the classroom camera
• Online, hybrid and web-supported how to use a
  computer, navigate the web, install hardware and
  software, prepare files in various formats,
  troubleshoot and learn the content

23
Potential SolutionsProvide Resources Trained
Staff

• Support websites with tip sheets and tutorials
• Links to other websites with links and tutorials
• On-site learning resource centers and labs with
  trained personnel

24
ChallengeUsernames and Passwords

• Multiple passwords expiring at various times
• Network and email
• eServices/PeopleSoft
• Blackboard

25
Potential SolutionsPortals

• Generation 4 Web Portal High Tech/High Touch
  Positive experience relationship
• Single sign-on
• Decision making guides and personalized
  recommendations to find and filter web content
• Proactive communication, coaching, mentoring,
  reminders
• Connections to other community members
• Synchronous interaction

26
ChallengeProctoring, out-of-area engagement

• Proctored testing
• Face-to-face conference, meeting or seminar
• Engagement in cultural event or activity in local
  college area

27
Potential SolutionsProctoring, out-of-area
engagement

• Document expectations in course schedules, online
  course catalogs, course web pages
• Encourage faculty to provide detailed course
  information in pre-course communication
• Work with student, faculty and support staff to
  coordinate suitable substitution

28
ChallengeTesting integrity, technical
difficulties

• Students are not the ones doing the work,
  completing the test
• Browsers are not compatible with course
  management systems
• Wrong button or back button is clicked
  accidentally
• Computers fail
• Internet services fail

29
Potential SolutionsTesting integrity, technical
difficulties

• Encourage use of multiple types of evaluation,
  not just online testing
• Provide detailed but flexible conditions of
  testing
• Instructions for what to do and what not to do
• Time limit
• Allowance of one reset per term
• Explanation of alternative testing formats if
  primary online mode fails

30
Review

• History of Distance Learning
• Evolution of Online Student Services (or Student
  Services Online?)
• Student-Centered Relationships
• Student-Oriented Processes
• Assessment for Continuous Improvement
• Collaboration with Faculty Support Staff
• Challenges Potential Solutions

31
WCET Learning Anywhere Anytime Partnership
Lessons Learned/Philosophy

• It's about people, not technology
• It's time to end the silos
• The user is king
• Internal consistency and integrity are vital
• Technology should enable new services, not define
  them
• Developing decentralized services means focusing
  on the commonalities while respecting the
  differences
• There will never be enough time or money

http//www.wcet.info/services/studentservices/beyo
nd/guidelines/lessons.asp
32
Questions, Responses Comments

• NILRC/MITCO/ILCCO Meeting
• Shawnee Community College
• Thursday, April 10, 2008
• Patrice Hess, Director of Organizational Learning
• Illinois Central College
• phess_at_icc.edu 309-694-5295

33
Books

• Burnett, D. J and Oblinger, D. G. (2002).
  Innovation in Student Services Planning Models
  for Blending High Touch/High Tech. IBM Society
  for College and University Planning
• Watkins, R. and Corry, M. (2008). E-Learning
  Companion, 2nd edition. Houghton Mifflin Company.
• Christ, F. L. and Ganey, Jr., L. R. (2007). 100
  Things Every Online Student Ought to Know.
  Cambridge Stratford Study Skills Institute.
• Wahlstrom, C., Williams, B. K. and Shea, P.
  (2003). The Successful Distance Learning Student.
  Thomson Wadsworth.

34
Web ResourcesAlso see slide citations.

• The Business of Online Learning
  http//www.icc.edu/innovation/PDFS/resources/sylla
  biCalendarsPoliciesProcedures_FSI2005.pdf
• 89 Things http//www.icc.edu/innovation/PDFS/bl
  ackboard/89Things_Online20Course.pdf
• ICC Course Recognition Rubric
  http//www.icc.edu/innovation/CourseRecognition.as
  p
• ION QOCI Rubric http//www.ion.uillinois.edu/in
  itiatives/qoci/index.asp