We are about 12 weeks into the pilot of the Gifted Kids Network and I keep asking myself, why are some students successful in the program and others have great difficulty? What characteristics are necessary for students to be successful online learners? Are there specific learning styles that learn better in a virtual environment than others? How can this information guide teachers in selecting gifted students to participate in online learning opportunities? What can teachers do to maximize opportunities for student success? How can the environment be designed and modified to respond to the learning needs of students? I will address these questions in a series of posts related to success in an online learning environment — lessons learned from the Gifted Kids Network pilot program.
Characteristics of students that seem to be having the most success in the program.
- Good at following written directions
- Self directed learners
- Good time management skills
- Don’t procrastinate
- Willing to work both on their own or in groups
- Enjoy discovering new information not having it spoon fed
- Enjoy internet research
- Enjoy trying and learning new technologies/software applications
- Aren’t afraid to try something new
- Have a teacher or parent in their home or school environment that can support their technological questions
- Communicate with teacher/mentor when there are questions or problems
- Keep open communication with the instructor, so he or she knows circumstances that may prevent my meeting a deadline. Requests an extension when cannot meet a deadline.
- Preserver when they don’t understand the first time
- Willing to redo an assignment or activity until they achieve mastery
Characteristics of students that are having the most difficulty
- Trouble following written directions
- Need structured environment
- Disorganized
- Poor time management skills
- Procrastinate
- Prefer to have content provided for them rather than investigating and discovering on their own
- Hesitant in learning new technologies
- Do not speak up when they don’t understand something
- Do not wish to resubmit assignments to achieve mastery
Suggestions for being successful in an online class
Self-directed and Self-motivated As an online learning student, you need to be self-directed and self-motivated in your approach to learning. Online courses are not easier than traditional classroom courses. Teachers in online classes take the role of facilitator and guide for exploring a subject and not the dispenser of the information. You have to assume a greater share of the responsibility for learning that takes place in an online environment. You may find that online classes require more time, commitment, and discipline.
Learning Style Unlike the traditional classroom where you receive auditory, visual and non-verbal input, the virtual classroom is primarily text-based. Communication occurs almost solely in written form. Print materials are the primary source of directions and information in online courses. Online classes provide less opportunity for verbal interaction. If you learn best by listening and interacting with other students and instructors, if you are dependent upon auditory input, you could be at a disadvantage in an online course, but you can succeed. Online courses frequently offer multimedia opportunities to engage in content. However, many schools block streaming video sites, limiting the ability to use multimedia in the program. Students may need to access the class from home in order to view multimedia content.
Communication Skills In online classes, a lot of the communication is written, so being able to express yourself effectively in writing is important. What you write is the main source of information available to the teacher and fellow students.
Problem Solver Things will go wrong. You will be more successful if you attempt to resolve a problem that occurs by asking questions and trying to problem solve, rather than waiting for the problem to go away on its own. When you run into an obstacle, seek solutions that allow you to fulfill course requirements. Contact others in the class. Contact your teacher. Propose alternate solutions. If you are experiencing difficulties on any level-either with course content or the technology, communicate this to your teacher immediately.
Ability to Organize and Prioritize Work Because there is more freedom and flexibility in the online environment than in a traditional classroom, you need to be particularly responsible and self-disciplined. The online process requires that you pay careful attention to deadlines, using the online calendar to keep track of your assignments, frequently checking grades to be sure you haven’t missed an assignment, and posting to the discussion forum in a timely manner is essential.
Procrastination Since you don’t have to physically go to class, it’s tempting to put off reading class ‘lecture’ or completing class projects until later. It is critical to stay current with readings, projects, and any other required tasks. Don’t wait until the last minute to do your work. It seems as if when you are working at the last minute, you can count on having computer problems, the network going down, a snow day or other weather delay preventing you from accessing your school computer.
Stay on Task You find yourself wandering through cyberspace instead of finishing your reading of course lectures and project descriptions. Online courses have fewer external cues or prompts to return you to the task at hand than do those in regular classroom settings. You will be required to preview, study, and review course material without the direct supervision of the teacher or the stimulation of classroom interaction.
Participation Be an active participate in the online learning community Participate in discussion forums, the lounge, use the class ‘chat’ function when it is offered, and communicate with classmates and the teacher through messaging. Discussion forums take the place of class discussions. Contribute your ideas and comments. Read those of your classmates. Keep comments and discussions positive. You can learn a great deal from each other. No question is too dumb to ask. Someone else probably has the same question.
Academic Honesty Academic honesty and integrity applies to online courses. Cheating on tests, copying from the internet, submitting someone else’s work as your own, and other forms plagiarism or academic dishonestly will not be tolerated.
Critical Thinking Skills Be able to apply critical thinking and decision making skills to the learning process. The online learning process will require you to make decisions based on facts as well as experience. You must be able to use critical thought to assimilate information and make effective decisions.
Perseverance You must realize and accept that online classes are a different learning environment and that things will not always go as expected. Multiple attempts may be common before tasks are successfully completed. At times, you will be confused and uncertain of what to do, not fully understand something, and have computer and/or network problems. You must persevere and refuse to give up when these situations happen.
My next post will focus on what I’ve learned from the pilot about how I can affect student success.
