Presented at Cengage's Team Up College Survival National Conference in Washington, D.C. (June 25, 2010)

1. Amber M. Epps
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
412.291.7398
amepps@aii.edu

2.  Administration
 Faculty
 Students
 Parents
 Accrediting Bodies

3.  Students who complete “success” courses are
more likely to persist.
 Online students who do not receive necessary info
get frustrated and disappear

4. Test-taking/anxiety Note-taking Social Skills
Learning styles & Personality types Diversity
intelligences
Wellness & reducing Access to academic Working in
stress resources groups/teams
Setting goals Time management Tips for
remembering
Money management Reading for success Career planning
Plagiarism Academic policies & Student services
procedures

5.  Test-taking anxiety
• Academic integrity
 Note-taking
• Delicious.com
• MyNoteIt.com
• Ebook features
 Social skills
• Making good first impressions
• The importance of listening
• Netiquette
• Getting to know your instructors and classmates
• Social networking

6.  Learning styles & intelligences – how to
apply them in a less-dynamic setting
 Personality types – how to apply them in a
less-dynamic setting
 Diversity
• Being open-minded
 Wellness & reducing stress
• Breathing exercises
• Exercises to do while working on the computer
 Access to academic resources
• Online/campus

7.  Working in groups/teams
• Being flexible
• Team leaders vs team members
• Collaboration software
 Setting goals
 Time management – balancing work, family,
& school
 Tips for remembering
 Money management
• Mint.com
 Readingfor success – reading online vs
textbook

8.  Career planning
• Career Services
• Flexibility
• Creating a portfolio
 Plagiarism
• Wikipedia
• Intro to citing sources
 Academic policies & procedures
• Online /campus
 Student services
• Online/campus

9.  Course navigation & terms
 Textbook solutions
 Basic technology skills
 Expectations
 Is online learning right for you?

10.  Accessing various items in the classroom
• Assignments >> instructions and how to submit
• Lecture materials
• Handouts
• Quizzes
• Grade book
• Discussion area
• Syllabus & material requirements
 Learning management system (LMS)
terminology
• Ex: Dropbox, Doc Sharing, Webliography, Discussion
Area, etc (eCollege)

11.  Ebooks/echapters
 Textbook rental
 Amazon
 eBay
 Craigslist

12.  Uploading/downloading files
 Installing plug-ins (ex: Flash, Java, etc)
 Saving files and creating folders
 Perform basic internet searches
 Sending/receiving emails with attachments
 Basic web browser skills (ex: bookmarking)
 Typing
 Where to get support!!!
 Having a backup plan!!!

13.  Participation
 Deadlines & late policy
 What to expect from the instructor
• Contact info
• Level of participation
• Turn-around/response time

14.  Student perceptions of online classes are
often inaccurate.
• Easier
• Less time
• Don’t need the book(s)/materials
• Only have to log in and post assignments
• No contact with instructor or classmates
 Must have:
• Time management skills
• Ability to obtain material requirements
• Self-motivation
• Internal locus of control

15. Test-taking/anxiety Note-taking Social Skills
Learning styles & Personality types Diversity
intelligences
Wellness & reducing Access to academic Working in
stress resources groups/teams
Setting goals Time management Tips for remembering
Money management Reading for success Career planning
Plagiarism Academic policies & Student services
procedures
Course navigation & Textbook solutions* Basic technology
terms* skills*
Expectations* Is online learning right
for you?*

16.  Who takes this course?
• Do they have any special needs that should be addressed?
 Modality
• Online students have very similar yet very different needs
 Demographics
• Non-traditional students?
• Displaced workers?
 Reasons for taking online classes
• Work
• Family
• Distance
• Personal (ex: lack of social skills, etc)
 Other topics that may be important for YOUR
students

17.  Ask !
• Students
• Faculty
• SurveyMonkey.com
 Look at persistence
• What’s going on with inactive students?