Keeping Students

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&Keeping Students

Communication Grading

ENGAGED!

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Workshop Objectives and Outcomes:

Keeping online students engaged using COMMUNICATION

Tips for maintaining frequent and regular communication with students both individually and as a group

By the end of this workshop, you’ll be able to apply techniques for:

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Keeping students engaged using FORMAT & CONTENT

Formatting your course pages and lessons so information is clear and accessible

Engaging students in lectures through frequent interactive material

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Keeping students engaged using ASSIGNMENTS and GRADING

Designing online activities, quizzes, papers, tests, and other assignments that are appropriate to your objectives and for the online environment

Grading and providing feedback through means appropriate to the assignment and the online format

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Anything that can be taught face-to-face

can be taught equally well online:

Anything that can be taught poorly face-to-face

can be taught just as poorly online

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Agghh!Are online class retention rates really that bad?

What can I do?

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Online Student Profiles and Retention Rates

The majority of online students are more mature, highly focused and motivated than traditional classroom students.

Grades are somewhat higher for online students.

General perception: dropout rates are higher for online courses than traditional face-to-face ones.

Technology and lack of personal interaction can impede student success.

Research: most successful retention in classes where instructor is visible and accessible (office hours, online chat, e-mail response).

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To Keep StudentsEngaged

Using

COMMUNICATION

Be VISIBLE and ACCESSIBLE

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Send frequent update e-mails “newsletters”

Outline what is happening in the current and next weeks.

List assignments and due dates.

Call out special dates to remember.

Wanda Class Help Page:http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?30789

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Send frequent update e-mails “newsletters”

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Make it easy for students to contact you

Create a separate CONTACT page (with a variety of ways to contact you).

Make your e-mail address easily accessible.

Make the contact expectations very clear (type of question, e-mail format, reply expectations, language, turnaround).

Wanda CSKLS 312.3 :http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?26473

Kathy APGR69:http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?2278

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If you don’t make expectations clear…

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Maintain personal e-mail contact with each student

Create an assignment where students have to e-mail you: http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?2292

Add questions or comments in your e-mails that encourage a response.

Respond quickly to e-mails and questions (even if it’s just one word).

Use boiler plate (copy/paste) e-mails but add a personal comment.

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Maintain personal e-mail contact with each student

Respond quickly to e-mails and questions

Use boiler plate e-mails but add a personal comment

Add questions or comments in your e-mails that encourage a response

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Send “rattle-the-cage” e-mails promptly

E-mail “disappeared” students persistently

List assignments they are missing

Suggest a plan to catch up

Remind them about drop dates (once), with and without a W, in a timely manner

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Encourage discussion to keep students engaged

Use chat rooms or message lists on CATE

Makes class less impersonal

Makes them feel committed

Establishes a sense of community

Allows for discussion on lecture topics

Provides space for group work

Reflects an individual’s degree of class participation

APGR72: http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?9271

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To Keep StudentsEngaged

Using

CONTENT

Keep it SIMPLE and ORGANIZED

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Create content and formats that keep students engaged

Set up an easy-to-follow schedule in one locationMake online “lecture” topics and dates clearProvide clear assignment due dates

Provide clear direction to the content List goals/objectives at the start of each lectureList what has been accomplished at the end

Keep pages short & break up large amounts of textUse images, comics, jokes, colors, lines to break up text

Encourage student interaction with the contentIncorporate “quick quizzes.”Ask thought-provoking questions after lecture materialsEncourage discussion of lecture materials on the forum

Examples: http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?2271#28316http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?2272http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page?26385

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Agghh!Grading online assignments…

How do I cope?

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Consider the different assignment/classwork formats

Try to vary them to keep students engaged

Quiz/test multiple choice format using CATE

Question and written answer format using CATE

Complete essay/paper assignment

Discussion/participation assignment

Attendance/participation activity

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Assignment format pros and consQuiz/test multiple choice format

Set up using test/exam module in CATE (can be time consuming for instructor)

Instructor can control access (start/end dates)

Requires less critical thinking on students’ part

Instant feedback on scores

Easy grading!!

Can be used to review lectures and inform students how well they have understood material

Instructor can add feedback for specific questions or the whole test

Question of honor system (who is taking the test?)

Examples: http://online.santarosa.edu/testbank/?8858

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Assignment format pros and consQuestion and written answer format

Submitted via e-mail, CATE test, CATE form or upload

More time-consuming to grade so students don’t get quick feedback on their progress

Can be thought provoking and demand more interaction from students

Examples:Test module: http://online.santarosa.edu/testbank/?6769

Input form:http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?2295

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Assignment format pros and consComplete essay/paper assignment

Submitted via e-mail attachment or uploaded to class inbox

Thought-provoking, challenging for students

Very time consuming to grade

Can be technologically demanding on students and instructors! (word processing, e-mail skills, file format)

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Assignment format considerationsParticipation activity

Discussion via postings on a forum/message board

Small group discussion via e-mail or in a chat room

Establish and communicate how this is evaluated and graded (number of messages?)

Good for interactivity and keeping students engaged

Attendance activity: how to assess

Use CATE to track student activity (roster)

Make them send instructor an e-mail every week

Gauged by prompt submission of assignments

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Make assignment instructions crystal clearProvide a due date and points at the top of the

assignmentTry to set consistent/predictable due datesHave due dates in schedule but not buried anywhere else!Remind students of due dates via e-mailList assignments in review at end of lecture (or at

beginning)

Break up assignments into simple step by step points Use bulleted items rather than long paragraphs of text.For Q and A assignments in CATE provide individual input boxes for each question.

Be VERY specific about assignment expectationsHow to submit it (e-mail, upload, input form) Written language expectations (full sentences, grammar)File format requirementsDeadlines (are you flexible?)Give links to sample assignments

Be specific about grading criteriaRubric or “maximum points given for…”

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But even when you make expectations clear… Assignment Examples

Assignment broken into steps:http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?11735

Assignment information in two places: http://www.santarosa.edu/~kthornle/30/30_W2p3_online.html

Grading Rubric:http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?26404#253421

http://www.santarosa.edu/~kthornle/30/LIR30%20assignments/LIR30_CPgradingTEMPLATE.pdf

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Agghh!I’ve received all these assignments…

How do I organize them?

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Set up a mechanism to keep track of workUse Outlook e-mail folders for e-mailed assignments and

CATE testsSet up the folders ahead of timeCheck and sort e-mail EVERY DAY!

Set up folders for attachments and uploaded work Establish a system for naming folders (so you can locate the work!)

Mark assignments received in grade book ASAP Make use of CATE grade book functions Input by hand for e-mailed assignmentsUse a system to indicate “turned in,” “late,” “missing etc.”

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ExamplesUse Outlook e-mail folders for e-mailed assignments and

CATE tests

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ExamplesSet up folders for attachments and uploaded work

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Acknowledge receipt of assignments to keep students engaged

E-mail a quick “Thank you!”

Use CATE test module to send feedback Acknowledge that the assignment has been receivedSend a copy of the assignment to student (choose options carefully)

Set up an archive for students to check assignments Good for assignments that the whole class can look at

Keep the grade book updatedSet up a regular day to do this

Use CATE roster to e-mail students as a group “Thanks for turning in your assignment”

“Just a reminder that the assignment was due…”

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Agghh!Grading, Grading…

How can I grade quickly online?

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Think about grading and feedback when you select assignments

Quiz/test multiple choice format in CATE test module

Students get instant feedback

You can add extra feedback in CATE (one place only!)

Scores can go right to the grade book in CATE

You can quickly evaluate how students are doing

Do not necessarily engage student intellectually or keep instructor involved

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Think about grading and feedback when you select assignments

Question and written answer format OR complete essay/paper assignment

Intensive onscreen reading for instructor

Time consuming to grade for instructor

Type feedback in e-mail reply or downloaded/attached document

Time-saving techniques

Use a WORD file with boilerplate comments to copy and paste.

Use a grade sheet (in Excel) that adds up points and allows you to type comments

Keep a printed answer key with points

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Hopefully these tips will help you have students who are…

Disengaged

Engaged

NOT

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&Discussion

Questions

And now…

Documents

Keeping Students