a. Employ Pre-course
Engagement Strategies. Entice students to connect to and
interact with CourseInfo materials as soon as possible,
even before classes begin, because a student's first encounters with
the CourseInfo package may require some extra time. Help
students to get this orientation phase out of the way, before their
academic workload intensifies. One way to engage students
"early on" is to use the CourseInfo Communication
feature to send them a friendly e-mail before the first class meeting.
We welcome them to the class, provide a link to the CourseInfo
site and invite them to browse the site to learn more about the course
and their instructors. Specifically, we direct them to the Announcements,
the Course Documents and the Staff Information sections.
We also encourage them to "check-out" the External Links and
the Calendar.
b. Communicate
Positive and Realistic Messages. It is essential for the faculty
member to communicate a genuinely positive attitude toward the technology,
and to do so in an expressive manner. Instructor expressiveness seems
highly related to achievement for "mastery students," who
evidence a high degree of persistence and internal control, but not
for at-risk "helpless students," who are more likely to abandon
a task after an initial failure (Feldman, 1989; Perry et. al, 1996).
The following are
"talking points" for discussion in the first class meeting:
i. Communication
Capabilities. CourseInfo is an innovative software package
that has the potential to enable us to communicate faster and more
efficiently. Students can use CourseInfo features to
e-mail faculty, classmates, a work-group, or the entire class.
ii. Postings.
Course materials will be posted on CourseInfo so students
can listen better and interact more in class. Copies of these will
also be available in the library or in the copy center for purchase.
We don't want students to function either as "student stenographers"
or engage in excessive printing.
iii. Class
Attendance Policies. CourseInfo will not
diminish student need to attend class. In fact, it will increase
the importance of class attendance. Since students won’t need to spend
as much time taking notes, faculty will be able to introduce more
active learning activities, and some of these will provide students
with opportunities to earn additional points toward their final grade.
iv. Collaborative
Learning. Students and the instructional team are all
in this together. We are all "students" of CourseInfo,
and will learn new features each semester.
v. Future Benefits.
Faculty chose to learn and use CourseInfo so students
can learn and apply new computer competencies. These may be of value
in future career(s) and to increase job marketability.
vi. Participation
Requirements. CourseInfo participation by all is
required, and failure to participate will result in specified grade
reductions. There shall be no lurkers. (When students are not participating,
e-mail the students to note that they have not yet entered the system,
and ask if they need any help.)
vii. Course
Statistics and Visitors. Inform students of the capabilities of
the Course Statistics feature to track and document their usage
(e.g., when they visit the site; what parts of the site they visit).
If applicable, tell students there may be observers in the CourseInfo
class, such as "visiting faculty members," and personnel who maintain
the server.
viii. Ethical
Conduct. Review expectations of conduct for CourseInfo
usage. Usage is subject to University policies on academic
integrity, affirmative action (e.g., non-discrimination; non-harassment)
and computer usage.
c. Provide an
In-class Demonstration. A CourseInfo demonstration
using a projected screen and an Internet connection is sufficient for
large (170+ student) undergraduate classes. Orientation to CourseInfo
can easily consume 30 minutes of the first class.
d. Distribute
a Hard Copy Syllabus. We recommend distribution of a syllabus identical
to that which is contained in the CourseInfo Course Information
section. Include the CourseInfo site’s web address, sources
of computer-based assistance (e.g., Help Desk), and the instructor e-mail
address, in the event a student cannot log-on to the site. Most instructors
review the syllabus on the first day of class, and we believe it unfair
to expect students to download a syllabus for the first class meeting.
e. Encourage
Persistence and Peer Learning. Encourage behaviors that are characteristic
of student mastery, including the ability to recognize the need for,
and seek assistance. Perry et al. (1996) describe a "helpless student"
as one who "withdraws from (the) failure situation physically and
psychologically," and a "mastery student" as one who
"welcomes challenge of task," and "intensifies effort
when experiencing failure." Encourage students who are having difficulty
mastering course management software to become active problem solvers
by seeking a mentor, reading the on-line manual, or calling the Helpline.
Enable the CourseInfo feature on quizzes that allows a
student to retake a quiz unlimited times without grade penalty. This
reinforces attributional retraining, (Weiner, 1986; Perry et al., 1996)
whereby a student, who might have previously believed their initial
failures are inevitable and permanent, can see that repeated efforts
may result in mastery.
f. Require Early,
Confidence Building, Participation. A key growth area for college
students is to develop a sense of competence via experiences that build
confidence. (Chickering; 1969; 1981) The creation of a Student Page
is a rewarding initial task. We often require an early posting on the
Discussion Board. (While a grade is not assigned to these activities,
students are told points will be deducted from a "participation
score" if the assignments are not completed.)
g. Conduct Precourse
Survey. We include an upgraded Precourse Survey, with
questions to assess students' computer competencies, common misconceptions
concerning the subject matter, course goals, and preferred learning
styles. It is important to identify and then address student misconceptions
(i.e., myths, blind spots and overgeneralizations) early in a
course. (Hansen, 1998). A Precourse Survey provides an
opportunity to establish content baselines in a non-threatening manner,
and to use whole class beliefs as a unifying strategy.
h. Determine
Barriers and Intervene. Identify operational barriers to CourseInfo
usage, and provide remedies. Common problems include: no e-mail
account; failure to forward university e-mail to local e-mail account;
lack of access to the university computer network in the student's home,
or slow acceptance of the need to use the University Computer Lab; and
problems with long distance access, or modem based access delays.
i. Address/Balance
Student Needs
i. Balance
Social-Emotional vs. Task Needs. Provide a mix of content and
tasks that balance student needs to initially engage in social-emotional
interactions and then to progressively advance into more complex task
functions. Early exposure to the site can emphasize orientation to
the course requirements and individuals in the classroom community.
ii. Consider
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Consider how the contents of the
CourseInfo site address the basic human needs identified
by Maslow (1954).
Physiologic
Needs: Can students perceive how mastery of the site
contents can contribute to eventual capabilities to positively influence
their ability to satisfy their needs for shelter, food, a healthy
existence, and protective clothing? Do the time demands of the postings
or course activities interfere with student needs for rest in an
unhealthy manner? (e.g., a virtual chat scheduled at an excessively
late or early hour; posting materials late at night for students
to download early in the morning).
Safety
Needs: Do students feel comfortable that they are able to post
discussion threads and engage in group activities in a"psychologically
safe" environment? Is the public sharing of class members’
e-mails judicious within the context of institutional environment,
or should the instructor "disallow" that CourseInfo feature?
Love and
Belongedness: Is Courseinfo used in such a way as to foster
class and group cohesiveness? (e.g., Is the language of the site
personal and inclusive, "we" vs. "you;" "our
class" vs. "the class.") Do faculty use the
Communication Section to facilitate student-faculty communication?
Self-Esteem:
Do quizzes provide realistic opportunities for student success?
Does the instructor provide explanations why answers are incorrect
as feedback on the Assessment instruments? Are students allowed
to retake the on-line quizzes without penalty? Does the instructor
provide whole class feedback on assignments that states performance
strengths, as well as next steps for student mastery?
Self-Actualization:
Does the course content stimulate the student to progress
from concrete to abstract levels of thinking, and from understanding
to synthesis and evaluation? Do the course materials, assignments
and external links provide opportunities for the most motivated
and engaged students to reach beyond their own, or the instructor’s
course expectations? Does the site serve to promote students’ personal
academic interests?
j. Set Standards
and Showcase Excellence. Establish an expectancy of success. Systematically
increase the difficulty and variety of instructional tasks so that they
become increasingly challenging, yet achievable. These have been termed
‘just in reach" learning challenges (Wlodkowski, 1991). Provide
whole-class feedback, and highlight positive participation behaviors.
With student permission, post assignment "best examples."
This enables students to see that others can perform in an outstanding
fashion, and suggests that they can as well (Small and Lankes, 1996).
k. Create a
Visually Attractive Site. Employ color, interesting, even humorous
photos, and basic html to visually organize text. This helps students
to sustain interest. Interesting graphics provide novelty, direct student
attention to what is important, and may enhance memory - all ways to
motivate students (Small and Lankes, 1996).
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