I am teaching two math classes this quarter. One is a hybrid course where the lectures are delivered online and we meet face-to-face once a week to work with Excel in a computer lab. The other is a fully online developmental math course that is the prerequisite to my hybrid class. The past few years, the Spring quarter has been particularly tough with regards to student engagement in both courses. Getting students engaged in an online course seems to be a perennial problem, and (anecdotally) appears to be getting worse recently.

I just gave a midterm in my hybrid course and, as I was updating the gradebook, noticed an interesting correlation in the grade categories. In this particular course the online classwork first consists of watching a series of video lectures that contain embedded quiz questions that count for 5% of the overall grade (I use this to see who is really watching the lectures). In addition, there are weekly graded homework assignments. I plotted the grades by student for the midterm, their lecture quiz scores, and their homework scores:

There is absolutely no surprise here at all, if you don’t watch the lectures or do the homework, it is reflected in your midterm score.

Two years ago, I wrote in this space about the larger standard deviations in the grades of online and hybrid courses when compared to face-to-face courses. Since I wrote that article, I feel the spread is getting larger and more students are struggling with online courses—in spite of spending a significant amount of time monitoring the students’ progress and sending frequent emails encouraging them to get engaged with the material.

In the same article, I highlighted several institutions that provide an online readiness check questionnaire for their students. While the questionnaires—if taken at all—may discourage some students from trying an online course, many students have no choice and must enroll in an online or hybrid course.

The question is, then, if we have students enrolled involuntarily (or voluntarily) in our online class, what support do we give them in developing the study skills and approach to the online course that will make them successful?

Our standard course template includes this information under the title Online Guidelines and Expectations:

• Online courses are not necessarily self-paced. Most courses contain discussions and other assignments that must be completed within a specific time frame.
• Test your technology prior to participating in any new activities.
• Read the syllabus. For an online course, the syllabus provides the guidelines and expectations for your participation. 
• Check your course site at least once every 48 hours. Some instructors might choose to send updates via email, while others might post announcements that you will only see by logging in to the course management system and accessing your course. For activities that require prompt feedback, your instructor might expect you to access the course and participate at least once per day.
• Make sure your email address is correct and up to date.
• Check your email frequently. Accessing email at least once per day is highly recommended for online students.
• Schedule regular times for your online activities. Plan to spend at least one evening a week and a few hours each weekend on your coursework.
• Be an active participant. Complete all readings, participate in discussions, and complete activities on time.
• Be proactive. Pay attention to due dates and don’t expect your instructor to remind you when deadlines are approaching.
• Respect your fellow students. Many online activities require student-to-student interaction. Be respectful of others’ opinions and contributions.

These suggestions are all well and good, but they fall short of giving students a comprehensive look at the study skills and time management skills that are necessary to be successful in an online course.

In my last post on this subject, I pointed out the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s online readiness survey for students. Once you complete the survey (just enter random selections) you will get “Your Online Readiness Results.” In those results, there are links to a large number of documents that are targeted at helping students get through online courses (and face-to-face courses for that matter). UNC’s Tips and Tools page contains a wealth of useful resources (text and video) for students. It is one of the most comprehensive that I have seen!  In addition, UNC offers live workshops that target upcoming events in the campus calendar. They also have a list of apps that includes many time/management programs for hand-held devices.

I do believe the problem with this wonderful resource is the leading-a-horse-to-water syndrome. Will students actually look at the material and put it into practice? Perhaps if we offered the horse a carrot at the watering trough we might get Nellie to actually drink. Would it be worthwhile or even feasible to offer a 1 credit online study skills course that would somehow certify that a student is ready to be successful in an online course? Could that be the gate to enrolling in an online course?

There are many unanswered questions there, but it just may help the DFW rates in our online courses (and face-to-face as well). We invest a lot of time and resources in preparing our faculty to develop and teach online courses. Our students could benefit from investment in student learning resources similar to that of UNC Chapel Hill—and perhaps even more so with an optional or mandatory online learning readiness course.