University/college officials and faculty are continually seeking alternative methods for advising students. This session will introduce participants to an advising site that was created using the online learning platform Desire2Learn. During the session, participants will be able to view (and hear, in some cases) the information that has been included at this advising site and to judge for themselves if they believe this concept workable for their own institutional use.
1. Creating an Alternative Advising System Using an Online Learning Platform as an Advising Tool Dr. Virginia HembyMiddle Tennessee State UniversityDr. Robert E. “Skip” Grubb, Jr.Columbia State Community College 1 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
2. Entry Point for D2L Advising Site 2 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
3. Twitter Invitation to Advisees 3 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
4. Advisor Contact Information and Office Hours Schedule 4 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
5. Upper Division forms must be submitted for audit a minimum of THREE (3) semesters prior to graduation; requires Advisor signature 5 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
6. Tutorial was developed for MTSU students; copied from website and included in Content 6 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
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17. CONCLUSIONS1. If you opt to use a course management system as an alternative advising tool, you need to have your university/college administration champion this project.2. The use of the course management system as an alternative advising tool must have the acceptance of all faculty and advising center staff.3. The advising course should be mandatory for students—no questions, no refusals.4. The advising course must be managed in the same fashion as all other courses offered via the course management system—students should be able to enroll in the advising course in the same manner as they do other courses. 17 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
18. RECOMMENDATIONS1. An advising course would work better as a required course for students. You should have students enroll in their respective major advising course at the beginning of their program and remain in that course for the duration of their program.2. The advising course could be graded using the “pass/fail” option—students who fail the advising course should have their registration frozen until such time as they met face to face with an advisor to discuss their progress. The advisor could then release the “hold” on their registration. 3. Students would need to be enrolled in the advising course through the semester directly preceding the semester in which they will graduate from the university/college. 18 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
19. RECOMMENDATIONS (Continued) 4. Details on eliminating the tuition cost associated with the advising course will also need to be addressed—cannot charge students for an advising course, can you? OR, could you replace one General Ed elective with this advising course? 5. University/college personnel would have to determine what they would use as “pass-fail” qualifiers for a required advising course. Would it be a required number of log-ins to the advising course? A required number of communications between advisor-advisee? Submission by advisees of course selections for each semester? 19 “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
20. 20 CONTACT INFORMATION:Dr. K. Virginia HembyBusiness Communication & Entrepreneurship DepartmentMiddle Tennessee State UniversityJennings A. Jones College of Business, BAS N440MTSU Box 40Murfreesboro, TN 37132(615) 898-2369 (Office) kvhemby@mtsu.eduDr. Robert E. “Skip” Grubb, Jr.Director, Criminal Justice TechnologyColumbia State Community College1665 Hampshire PikeColumbia, TN 38401(931) 540-2758 (Office)rgrubb1@columbiastate.edu “The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL
