Retention is the most prominent area of concern in academic advising departments. Retention strategies are always learned and never mastered; student services professionals are constantly searching for effective techniques to enhance student retention. From an academic advising standpoint, supporting online learners is best achieved by establishing solid, meaningful student-advisor relationships. Thus, retention strategies can be conceptualized as relationship-building strategies. Read more →
Advising
Distance Advising: A Personalized Approach
Quality academic advising, though not easily defined, encompasses a set of values and intentions that help students integrate their dreams, goals, and abilities into a unified sense of purpose. At the core of this process is the student-advisor relationship, which may develop and unfold in ways that are as unique and diverse as our advisees. Ideally, academic advising programs should be formulated to meet the unique needs of students, rather than expecting them “to fit within the established organizational structure” (NACADA, 2010). Read more →
Enhancing student motivation
Motivation is often inferred from observable behavior. When students study diligently and manage their time wisely we tend to describe them as motivated. When struggling students do not implement the advice they’ve been given to improve their academic situation, we usually label them unmotivated. This overly simplistic view of motivation fails to account for the internal processes that we cannot see.
Read more →
Career Advising
The pursuit of a college education is, for many students, the pursuit of a dream: a passion, a profession, a career. For others, the practical benefits of higher education are far too significant to ignore. The Education Pays graph from the Bureau of Labor Statistics illustrates these benefits, such as buffering against unemployment, facilitating higher earnings, and promoting upward social mobility. Read more →
Jumping into Online Learning: A Reality Check
If you think online learning is going to be easy, then think again. There is a distorted perception among the general population that online learning is somehow less challenging than traditional classroom instruction; that students in online classes can “go at their own pace” and simply take open-book tests to demonstrate their knowledge. If students wish to be successful in online education, they’re going to need a reality check. Read more →
Supporting Students: Alternatives to Questions in Academic Advising
In a previous article, I spoke about the problem with questions in academic advising. Here is a summary of the potential downsides to overusing them in our conversations with students:
- Builds the student’s hope that you will eventually offer a solution
- Teaches students to passively respond to questions instead of actively participate in a co-constructed dialogue
- May foster defensiveness (especially with lots of “why” questions)
You might wonder what this looks like in a conversation. Mitchell (2009) described Read more →
Academic Social Networks
A social network used to mean nothing more than a group of people linked together via common interests or a pattern of social relationships. Similarly, a professional network referred to a group of people tied together by professional relationships or career-related interests. These days, nearly any type of network that exists in the “real world” can also exist in the “virtual world,” which expands the connection possibilities exponentially. Although Facebook is typically associated with social relationships, Twitter with information-sharing, and Linkedin with the virtual Rolodex, these platforms embody the same principles: building online communities and sharing information. In the academic world, traditional campuses are slowly learning how to engage online learners by following the same principles. Read more →
The Problem with Questions in Academic Advising
Asking questions is overrated. Chances are, however, that if you’re an academic advisor then you’ve probably been told otherwise. You may believe that questions are one of the most powerful tools in your advisor tool box. Maybe you even have some favorites; the ones that really make your students think or lead to profound insights. Don’t get me wrong, an effective question can help students critically evaluate their issues and lead to resolution but just for once, let’s talk about the potential downside to questions. Read more →
Online Career Services
How are career services being offered to online students? Some institutions are teaming up with organizations like CareerBuilder (click to view a course demo) and Optimal Resume to offer comprehensive career services that can be accessed via a career resource portal. From personalized career coaching to resume-writing workshops, students have access to a variety of services at their fingertips. Read more →
Plagiarism in Higher Education
Plagiarism – it’s a word that many higher education professionals equate with cheating and a problem that continues to rise. Where exactly are students getting their information? Turnitin conducted a study that analyzed approximately 24 million college papers and pinpointed the most popular sites (percentages represent percentage of students’ papers that matched the content of the corresponding website): Read more →
A Word on Motivation
The issue of “motivating students” is often discussed in my office. I believe that no one should ever take ownership of another person’s motivation. This may sound trite, but I think it is far more important to remind students of their motivation than it is to motivate them. “Motivating students” is usually tantamount to cheerleading, which is useful for bolstering confidence and demonstrating support, but we must not forget that motivation resides within the student, not the advisor. To this end, we must dedicate some time to getting to know our students and understanding what drives them…even if it is just a brief moment. Here are some questions that tap into a person’s motivation: Read more →
Overcoming procrastination
Procrastination is one of the most common problems I talk about with students. Online learners tend to have very busy schedules because they manage multiple roles (i.e. parents, students, employees), which is usually why they choose online coursework in the first place. If anything, many online learners are excellent at self-management – they work throughout the day, prepare dinner for the family, and still manage to write 5-7 page paper before they go to bed. It is not uncommon, however, to encounter a number of students who need help with overcoming the habit of putting things off for tomorrow (Latin roots: pro = “forward” + crastinus = “tomorrow”)
What Distance Advising Can Learn from Distance Counseling
Distance counseling is the best place to look for tips on building relationships at a distance. As a mental health counseling student and a distance advisor, I was naturally drawn to the literature in this area. In fact, it was what led me to complete the Distance Credentialed Counselor Training offered by ReadyMinds, which educated me on best practices. Although there is a wealth of information out there on this topic, I just wanted to share a few simple tips that I use to build relationships with students at a distance.
Transported Presence
Transported presence is the idea that we can be present someplace without having to go there physically. We now have the ability to bring people together from remote locations into digital spaces (e.g. virtual room, virtual desktop, video chat/IM). The implication is that we can eliminate, or at least greatly reduce, the distance between us. We’ve already been doing this since the invention of the telephone, but with advances in technology, communicating at a distance doesn’t need to feel so… distant.
Advising notes: A MAPP for consistency
If you didn’t document it, then it didn’t happen.
This phrase speaks to the importance maintaining accurate academic advising notes. Documenting student-advisor interactions promotes continuity of service from one advisor to the next. The advising notes must tell a story that clearly outlines a student’s progress toward achieving academic and career goals and the services that have been provided to that student. Some advisors write a novel to document conversations whereas other advisors write so many abbreviations that reading their notes can be like deciphering a secret code.
12
