Dynamite Tips:Changing your DFWs

into Successful Learners

Raymond Rose Alese SmithRose & Smith Associates University of North Texas

Tell us who you are.

•K-12

•Community College

•4-yr College/University

•Course Designer/Instructor

•Instructor/Facilitator

•Program Manager

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Tell us about your program or course.

•Is your course/program fully or partly online?

•How old is your course/program?

•Do you know your course/program’s DFW rate?

•Has the DFW rate changed over time?

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Tell us why you’re here.

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What causes students to DFW?

Mistaken expectations

• Easier

• More in-depth

• Friendlier

• Self-paced

• Scheduled

• Less confusing

• Wrong course

Unexpected reactions

• Navigation confusion

• Assignment confusion

• Tech problems

• Feeling behind

• Slow or no responses

• Feeling alone and unnoticed

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What helps students be successful?

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•Feeling a sense of community where classmates know each other and communicate.

•Feeling a part of that community.

•Feeling their input is valuable and sought

after by classmates.

•Feeling valued and noticed by the

instructor.

What are the ways to change DFWs into successful learners?

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As you design the course...

Start students with a Start Here section, and detail, detail, detail.

AKA: a simple syllabus isn’t enough.

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Detail the Start Here section.

•How to start

•Welcome

•Tech info

•Course design

•And the syllabus

•Activities checklist

•Scheduled asynchronous

•Guidelines for success

•Communication Plan

•And your TONE

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Design the course simply, fully.

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> > Start Here! < <

Weekly lessons

Announcements

Discussions

Messages

Calendar

Grades and feedback

Resources

Assignments

A sample week: Everything students require for the week.

Weekly lessonsWeek 2

OverviewThis week’s ReadingsDiscussion on readingsResources QuestLearning BlogWiki group projectLet’s talk about this week

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What goes into the weeks.Week 1

Overview and objectives of the week

Discussion: Get acquainted with classmates, part 1

Explore the discussion forums

Blog: Overview and expectations

Team project 1 of 6: Meet your teammates, first project

Discussion: Let's talk about this week

Week 2

Overview and objectives of the week

Get acquainted, part 2

This week's readings, resources

Team project 2 of 6: Define roles, assignments, timeline

Blog: Web search, review choices

Discussion: Appraisals and critiques

Freestyle assignment

Weekly Self-assessment

Discussion: Let's talk about this week

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Design activities to be interesting and attainable.

Students learn how to improve their performance:

• Self-assessments

• Peer-assessments

• Instructor frequent feedback

• Feedback from teammates, colleagues

Students earn grades on each segment of a multi-part activity.

Students to choose how they demonstrate learning:

• Composition

• Slideshow

• Audio or video presentation

• Website

Students see how to GET points and less on how to LOSE them.

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Assure technical competence: Introduce and practice tech steps in ungraded activities.

•Don’t assume anyone knows how to use the technology.

•Include links to detailed instruction and tutorials within assignments.

•Refer students to a Tech Questions thread or the school helpdesk.

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The course is final and ready.

Have the course formally reviewed against your institution’s quality standards.

At a minimum, have a colleague review it for reactions.

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Before the course begins...

Email a pre-course Learning Agreement to each student as they register.

• Introduce yourself

• Provide the syllabus and more

• Info on YOUR responsibilities to each student

• What you expect of them, what it takes to succeed

• Acknowledgement they’ve read/agree to abide by the LEARNING AGREEMENT

• Ask for questions now before starting

• What does it tell you about students who don’t respond? What actions can you take?

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Before the course begins...

Send students to the course to test their login and test access to the course.

•Display the syllabus and Start Here before the course starts.

• If not, email it to them in the Learning Agreement.

•Use it to:• Test technical abilities

• Give a head-start on course layout

• Give students practice going to the course site

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As the course begins...

After students read the Start Here section and syllabus, consider quizzing on it.

Why not identify those who might have skipped it, especially those who registered late?

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Make the community building a first priority.

• Make the very firstassignment an ice-breaker discussion.

• Host it in a Student Lounge and assign continued conversations.

• Ice breakers don’t have to have anything to do with the subject matter.

• Make it fun!

• Considering posting your ice-breaker introduction to model.

• Community-building is a process, not an event.

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Once the course is underway...

Provide multiple communication channels.

•Use Announcements for breaking news and reminders.

•Keep all communications within the course and out of email.

•Consider hosting live video events.

•Exploit the discussion forums.

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Sample Discussion Forums

Ongoing topicsAsk Assignment Clarification questions hereShare Interesting Resources hereStudent Lounge

Week 1 DiscussionsGet Acquainted, part 1Define your visionLet's Talk About this Week

Week 2 DiscussionsGet Acquainted, part 2Interview a LeaderWeb Search Discoveries, CritiquesPeer ReviewLet's Talk About this Week

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Sample Discussion forums to consider.

Course-long topicsAsk Assignment-Clarification questions

Share Worthwhile Resources here

Student Lounge

Week 1 DiscussionsGet Acquainted, part 1

Discuss the Syllabus

Let's Talk about the Week

Week 2 DiscussionsGet Acquainted, part 2

Let's Talk about the Week

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Sample Discussion forums to consider.

Weekly discussions

• Give each week’s topic its own separate forum

• Provide at least one weekly discussion topic every week

• Consider: Provide a weekly reflection forum for how it’s going

Ongoing discussions

• Assignment clarification questions:

• Provide a forum where all students post questions and answers for all to see

• Answer all assignment questions only once

• Student orientation to provide a social area to talk

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Provide frequent feedback on students’ performance, especially in the early weeks.

Feedback can communicate to a student what they’re doing well, and provide a map to doing better.

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Consider audio feedback.

Comparing WRITTEN feedback to AUDIO feedback: Research found overwhelming preference by both students and instructors.

Students: Understood more, incorporated it into next work, felt more involved and motivated.

Instructors: Quicker, increased amount of feedback, easier to express, less need to be perfect.

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Focus on late arrivals to help them catch up with their classmates.

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•Starting late can be extremely difficult to overcome.

•Show them special attention and interest.

•Help them prioritize essential activities.

•Do a live video chat.

•Several? Introduce in an announcement and asking others to meet.

•Assign a mentor

Successful learners need to...

Be comfortable with the course’s physical layout and how to use its areas.

Be aware of what’s expected of them.

Feel they’re valued contributors to the community.

Feel a connection with the instructor.

Be aware of how well they’re performing.

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Let’s talk about your questions, observations, experiences, successes.

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Alese Smith

alese.smith@unt.edu

Rose and Smith Associates

Raymond Rose

ray@rose-smith.comhttp://rmrose.blogspot.com

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