Foster student success with Learning Online 101
Challenge
How can faculty and instructors who teach in online and blended environments help prepare students to be successful online learners?
Solution
Setting clear expectations for what you want learners to know and do throughout your online course will help your course proceed more smoothly.
Assign Learning Online 101, a self-paced course for students, that prepares them for technical and academic success in courses using online content. The course touches on self-motivation, time management, technical skills, and available student support. Students in the course get advice directly from UMN faculty and students, which all contribute to greater success in online classes. Learning Online 101 prepares students to meet these challenges and typically takes 2-4 hours to complete. See the Learning Online 101 outline.
Tips for Incorporating Learning Online 101 into Your Course
- Ask students to complete the Learning Online 101 course in your introductory email. Highlight modules, topics, or technology they should pay special attention to for your class.
- Share the Learning Online 101 student self-enrollment link (z.umn.edu/LearningOnline101) in your Start Here or Getting Started module.
- Create an assignment (either required or extra credit) and have students submit the "Certificate of Completion" from the Learning Online 101 course along with a brief reflection of tips they want to keep in mind during the semester. An assignment you can use is found in Canvas Commons called Learning Online 101 (you need to be logged into Canvas Commons to access this link).
- Use a Discussion forum to prompt students to share their main takeaways from the course.
- Request that students share a Kaltura video introducing themselves and their 'why' for being in college.
- Have students submit one of the student activity ‘workouts’ suggested during the Learning Online 101 course
Learning Online 101: Student "workouts"
There are "workouts" or optional activities for students to complete through the course. Instructors can ask students to focus on one (or all) of these ‘workouts’ in order to reflect or practice for online classes.
- Online Readiness Self-Assessment
- Share your “why” (in connection with Terresa Moses: Know Your Purpose video)
- Canvas Account profile
- Supplement with Name Coach name pronunciation
- Google Doc Workout
- Add a Heading; Customize Font; Add Picture; Add Comment; Add a hyperlink
- Kaltura Video Workout
- Record video in MyMedia, edit captions and share in discussion.
- Zoom Workout - Start a meeting
- Turn in the certificate of completion for the Academic Integrity course
Student Feedback
Students who completed the course shared the following feedback:
- "My prof said if we did this we would get extra credit. All teachers should do that. This was very beneficial, and I think offering it as extra credit would inspire more people to do it."
- "I liked the course. I felt the Canvas section taught me exactly what I wanted to know about how to use canvas, and was helpful without being overly verbose and getting bogged down in really basic details."
- "I think that this course was very helpful in giving me a clearer understanding of how the online structure will look in my own personal life as well as how to manage the classwork better."
- "I thought that this course helped me feel more confident in myself as I begin a fully online fall semester."
Creative Commons
LearningOnline 101 by CSU Channel Islands is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.
Learning Online 101 helps your students come to class ready to learn on day one.
