Managing Students Online

Managing students online; particularly behavior, seems like an impossible task, doesn’t it? I wondered what it would be like when I started teaching GENED 197, Introduction to E-Learning at Boise State. I found out after a couple of iterations of the 5-week course that I had to be very proactive and clear about my expectations. I had to communicate in writing (which, fortunately, I prefer!) more frequently than I would have thought necessary. Despite the fact that most of the questions that the students were asking were answered clearly in the introductory material or in the lesson itself, it seemed that they needed the assurance of a personal answer. I have resisted the response, “For the fifth time, read the instructions in Lesson One; the paragraph beginning…”!! Instead, I have used the opportunity to apply a little patience, not something I’m noted for, and have found it to be good for both me and the student.

I have not had issues of disruption, threats, abusive or foul language or anything more extreme than apathy or hopelessness. Online students are very prone to procrastination; they know that, they learn what the characteristics of a successful online learner are, and yet some of them still attempt to do half the assignments during the last week of class!

As Ko and Rossen (2004) discuss on pages 228-238, I have dealt with several students in their categories of “Quiet Students”, “The Staller”, “The Must-Pass-This-Class” student and others. On the other hand, I have had students who were highly capable and motivated, completing the entire course in the period of a 3-day weekend! The one technique that I use with most of the problem students is to provide them with the information that they need and emphasize that it is their responsibility to apply it to the assignment. I often have to remind them of the requirements for passing the class. Like most people, they like to test the boundaries. I do not spoon-feed students; it’s demeaning to them and too time-intensive for me. It doesn’t take long to identify the student who wants (not necessarily needs) excessive hand-holding, to avoid the tedium of reading and understanding the directions!

For some other tips on dealing with problem online students and teaching online in general, refer to the following resources, they’re pretty good, though not as comprehensive or focused as I would like:

http://research.microsoft.com/scg/papers/Bad%20Behavior%20Survey.pdf

http://www.classweb.hs.iastate.edu/tips/default.asp