32 nd International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ictcm.com | #ICTCM
Angi Agocs MOTIVATING AND ENGAGING ONLINE Kristine Buddemeyer Christina Thompson STUDENTS Seminole State College of FL
BEFORE THE SEMESTER BEGINS: CLARIFY THE COURSE OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS Welcome email is sent to students once a week, starting 3 weeks before the semester starts. It contains the Syllabus o Test dates and proctoring requirements o o Text book and online homework information o (Homework shell is ready to be used) Basic requirements o First section of lecture notes and videos o
FIRST WEEK: ORIENTATION VIDEO AND QUIZ o There are 3 orientation videos (instructor, homework, syllabus) o Videos are short, 5 – 6 minutes maximum o Students must take a mandatory orientation quiz based on the welcome videos o Quiz could be taken multiple times. Count as a grade or give extra credit. o Update the orientation video every term o Intro discussion
THE SET-UP: LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Weekly Assignments o Bulleted list of assignments due each week o Link to assignments in LMS or online homework o Link to lecture notes, videos, etc Communicate with students through announcements o Link to assignments or lecture materials o Enable comments from students
THE SET-UP: LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
GETTING STUDENTS ENGAGED: EXAMPLE ACTIVITY Introduction Discussion Activity (Liberal Arts Course): o First: Students are given a link for a free “Myers - Briggs” test o Second: Students are organized into groups to create a Venn Diagram to display their shared & differing personality traits o Comment: Students must look at the Venn Diagram of at least one other group and write what they would guess about the group dynamic
MYERS-BRIGGS KEY
GETTING STUDENTS ENGAGED: WEB MEETINGS o Web-Ex, Zoom, Skype, etc. o Email session info 7-10 days prior to web meeting o Include assignment that will be reviewed during the session o 75-90 minute sessions o Record the session share recording later o Provide time stamps for problems, if possible o Can be used for one-on-one meetings, too
GETTING STUDENTS ENGAGED: STUDENT FEEDBACK SURVEY Facilitated online o Professor can write their own questions tailored to the needs in their classroom o Types of questions: multiple choice, free response and rating o Can be anonymous or not Sample Questions o Rate your understanding of course expectations and assignments. o Was the content arranged in a clear and logical way? o Rate the quality of multimedia used in the course. o Were the review sections before the tests useful? o How many hours did you spend completing activities related to the course? o Identify two ways to improve this e-learning course. o What are two strengths of this e-learning course?
GETTING STUDENTS ENGAGED: PERSONALIZED COMMUNICATION After each test (the first is important!), email each student “individually:” o Keep up the good work; You’re right on track! o In danger of failing. Tutoring/Office Hours visits/Remind about help features on the homework software o Email each student that earned an A and ask for study tips to share. Send those out to the class. Send “Mid - Semester Check In” emails to all students o Kudos o Low grade, may consider withdrawing o “In - between:” Send a personalized message addressing particular areas that can be improved
MAINTAINING BALANCE: STUDENT MESSAGES o Set clear communication expectations with students o Create email templates – weekly reminders, test reminder, notice of absence, notice of withdrawal, etc. o Schedule time at the start and end of each day to answer all emails o On weekends schedule time to answer emails once per day
MAINTAINING BALANCE: MANAGING FRUSTRATING EMAILS o Negative communication in an online class does not encourage a healthy learning environment. Additionally, negativity can have a mental, and even physical, impact on us. o It’s OK to be frustrated by emails that contain inappropriate language or tone, but don’t convey your frustration in your answer to the student o Many students are overwhelmed and do not intend their messages to be rude o It is part of our role to point out when an email is inappropriate and to help the student correct the behavior o Emails are not text messages, nor are they letters
ONLINE COMMUNICATION: BEST PRACTICES Use “Small” punctuations: periods, commas, and semicolons Proper capitalization “Emphasis” can be conveyed with quotation marks (if bold or italics are not available) It is appropriate, in some cases, to copy and paste the original writer’s email and add in your comments Avoid Exclamation Points! (except for congratulatory communications) ALL CAPS: This will almost always be seen as YELLING! Overuse of active voice
HOW TO RESPOND? I know you are unable to give me my exact grades online. What i was asking was is there anyway i can somehow pass this class. by my homework and quiz grades shouldnt it be concerning that i am barely doing well on my tests wityh the last two grades i have recieved? This class is just as bad as my first class i took on campus. I honestly think that the amount of work that is reguired to be done before the test several weeks later is bogus. I dont see how someone can memorize all those different math problems and equations. No matter how hard i study. Any normal person like i would also have a hard time doing so. If te test wasnt based off memorzing all the formulas cause they arent given to us i wouldnt be having a problem in your class. I didnt get the calculator that you sent me. I was simply asking what can be done so i can pass the class. I need a C for my degree and with those test grades and how the class is weighted i will not pass. ? I didnt go to school here in high school, i went to school in texas but i know up there the teachers did what they had to to help there students pass because failing students make the teacher look bad. unless i am wrong. I am sorry if you think i am being mean, but I am frusterated. I spend all the time i do an homework and take the quizes three time each to make sure i get the best score i can and your practically telling me im on my own because you cant discuss certain things on line? when this is a fully online class?
ONLINE COMMUNICATION: BEST PRACTICES Meet the them with Grace “Hello [student’s name].” o Greet your student Thank you for contacting me about _____. Let me address your concerns that you’ve shared with me. o Recognize their effort in contacting you - concern #1 - concern #2 o Address their need from a clear head So if you meet the requirements mentioned Use a list before... Remove frustrated tone “Please contact me with any additional questions. Type in Word. Review. Edit. Review. Edit. Have a great day! Prof. ..." o Clarify. o Encourage them to continue to reach out to you Tips from our eLearning liaison, Michael McCurdy
CONTACT US: Angi Agocs – agocsa@seminolestate.edu Kristine Buddemeyer – buddemeyerk@seminolestate.edu Christina Thompson – thompsonc@seminolestate.edu
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