ELearning/Teaching online/The first two weeks
The first two weeks constitute a sensitive period in the life of an online course. Getting off to a good start inoculates you and students against frustrations they may encounter later on. On the other hand, a bad start fosters apprehension, low expectations, and cynicism.
As discussed in the Learning communities article, the instructor uses this time to begin building a learning community. The elements for community don't yet exist, so the instructor is building social presence early so that teaching and cognitive presence will arise during the course. With a strong course design in place, the instructor can concentrate on this critical foundational task.
A good start
Be Ready! There are always a percentage of instructors who are not ready for students on the first day of class. Students literally login to a blank course. This is simply not acceptable. There are many unforeseen circumstances that arise, but there is a basic level of professionalism we cannot fall below. This is why early preparation is essential. Take time to poke around and familiarize yourself with the course structure, the discussions, assignments, assessments, and course materials.
At the very least, students should have access to the course syllabus, a greeting from the instructor, instructor contact information, and a place to introduce themselves and interact with other students.
Conquer the technical issues
The first two weeks is the period when students are most likely to experience technical problems, so it’s important to login every day and solve them right away. The most common issues include password problems, blocked popups, browser issues, and inability to view videos. Figure 2 below illustrates the traffic to a typical help desk at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. Refer to the LMS Tools section for details and guidance. You should be able to deal with (not necessarily solve) these basic issues, but otherwise it is less frustrating for all to refer other problems to the institution or organizational help desk. You should post both the phone number and the web address.
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| 2. Student technical support requests |
Respond to student introductions
You should try to respond to every student introduction during the first week. There are a number of real benefits. You immediately begin building a learning community, promote a sense of belonging, and you boost student participation for the semester. In other words, there is an immediate halo effect.
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| 3. Instructor discussion participation |
Figure 3 reflects actual discussions posts, with two instructors teaching the same course during the same semester with the same design. Here we see Instructor 1 responding to nearly every Discussion 1 student post (student introductions), while Instructor 2 posts once. Both groups of students post equally high during this activity. As the weeks progress, we see Instructor 1 posts are sharply reduced, although larger in number than Instructor 2. By contrast, we see Student 1 posts remaining high throughout most of the semester, with Student 2 posts immediately drifting downward. The extra little bit of attention by Instructor 1 has paid high dividends in terms of student participation. This phenomenon is consistent with previous research (Betts, 2008; Gilmore, 2012; Gorsky & Blau, 2009).
Akyol & Garrison (2008) have shown that experienced instructors spend the greatest portion of their time on facilitating discourse during the first weeks of a course. Baker (2010) demonstrates the significant relationship between instructor immediacy and student motivation and satisfaction. As demonstrated above, continued high levels of instructor participation in discussions is not advised.
Intervene early
The level of student online activity is strongly predictive of eventual course grade and the probability of dropping the course. Online dropout rates run about ten percentage points higher than the traditional classroom. According to Tyler-Smith (2006), actively supporting, encouraging, gently cajoling and following up on learners who seem to be struggling will help to keep wavering learners in the course. "Supporting learners until they are over the initial 'eLearning learning-curve hump', may involve a seemingly high level of resource and effort on the part of the instructor, but the payoff is that fewer learners will drop out at the early stage. As they gain mastery over the system and develop confidence, they are more likely to stay the distance."
You are key to lowering this rate. During the first two weeks of class
- All major learning management systems (LMS) include student tracking features that record all student activities within its confines, and various reports for specific activities. Check overall student activity.
- Contact low-participation students, noting your concern and offering assistance and referral. Three values best summarize participation: first access date, the number of login sessions, and the total time spent within the course.
- Express your concern, offer your assistance, and inform them of available services. Some institutions have dedicated staff who follow up. Know your institution's policies.
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| 4. Predictors of negative student outcomes |
The charts in Figure 4 above represent the first two weeks of student activity in two different courses taught online during the Spring semester of 2012, along with student final grades. Negative predictors (predicting dropouts or grades D and F) arising out of the first two weeks of activity are shown in red. The last column indicates whether the presence or absence of negative predictors correctly predicted the final outcome. A green "+" indicates a successful prediction, and a red "-" indicates a failed prediction. In both courses, predictions were successful 2/3 of the time. Note a 100% successful prediction of negative outcomes when all three factors were negative (right sample students 5, 9, and 18).
The lesson, then, is that this method may have significant predictive value and that your early intervention in the presence of negative indicators may well encourage those students to increase their attention, seek help, or drop sooner than later.
Establish a Routine
You will find your own favorite pattern for working in the course, but it’s a very good idea to start out with the following:
- Week 1: Login at least once a day.
- Week 2: Try moving to two days on, one day off; readjust as necessary
- Week 3: Move to every-other day on, a least four times a week.
Remaining weeks: It may be tempting to reduce further, but beware. Students know when you’re active and when you’re not. You may not be at the front of the class, but you’re still the most important person in the room. This is essential.
Using these guidelines will get your course moving and on-track. There is one more thing.
Manage the Stress
Unless you are already familiar with the workings of your LMS, it can be confusing. The correct clicks are not always intuitive, and you may experience technical issues yourself. Always use the assistance available to you, especially your supervisor and the technical help desk.
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