Guiding Student Learning in Online Environments
Jackie RahsazWestern Governors University
The Challenge• In the traditional classroom,
the professor guides the learning through synchronous weekly lectures.
• In the self-paced, on-line, asynchronous environment, the student navigates on their own.
WGU Model• Non-profit• Online• Self-paced• Competency-based• Personal Mentor• Program based• 6 month terms start
every month
COURSE
Student A Student CStudent B
Colleges• College of Business• College of Information Technology• College of Health Professions• Teachers College
– Elementary Education– Secondary Education
• Math• Science
over 25,000 current students
over 2,000 students started Oct 1
Competency-Based
Guiding Student Learning• Student Mentors monitor learning on a
regular basis, during entire program– Regular phone calls, Access to LR analytics
• Course Mentors offer additional content support, during a specific course
• Course of Study guides the learning process• E-Learning Resources provide the
opportunity to gain competency
Student’s Want to Know…• What do I need to learn?
– The Course of Study lists the competencies and guiding questions
• How do I learn the material?– WGU provides the Learning Resources and the
Course of Study directs their use
• How will I know when I’ve learned it?– Pre-Assessments check student learning, in
addition to the opportunities within the LR
Let’s look at a Course of Study…
Course of Study
E-Learning Resource referenced within the Course of Study
Topic within the Course of Study
E-Learning ResourceOWL Chemistry from Cengage
Opportunity for student to check their understanding
Access to the eBook along with other opportunities to learn the material
Course of StudyGuiding Student Learning
Integrated hyperlink goes directly to section within etext
Guiding questions related to our competencies
Coaching Reports
Hyperlink to the Course of Study topic
• After taking a pre-assessment to check their understanding, a coaching report is available.
Guiding Student Learning• Student Mentors connect with students
regularly• Course Mentors - content specific assistance • Course of Study – asynchronous learning
– E-Learning Resources– Message Board– Community
• Pre-Assessments/Coaching Reports – determine readiness for assessment
Constantly Improving • Utilize and support OER (Open Educational
Resources) • Integrate - creating a better learning
atmosphere for our students• Provide all E-Learning Resources for our
students• Reach out to students, after reviewing
analytics from LR student use
Questions?
Jackie RahsazWestern Governors University
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