Posts tagged: academic advising

Supporting Students: Alternatives to Questions in Academic Advising

February 15, 2012, by 2 comments

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 →

The Problem with Questions in Academic Advising

January 11, 2012, by 7 comments

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 →

A Word on Motivation

November 30, 2011, by No comments yet

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

November 28, 2011, by 2 comments

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”)

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What Distance Advising Can Learn from Distance Counseling

November 4, 2011, by No comments yet

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.

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Zoho – Free Chat, CRM, and then some

September 1, 2011, by No comments yet

Zoho is a company that offers a slew of web-based applications designed to help people collaborate, communicate, and create. Some of the collaboration and communication tools Zoho offers include chat, document sharing, desktop sharing, and wiki applications all under one roof – they even have email service. On the creating front, Zoho offers Read more →

Screencasting in Distance Advising

August 31, 2011, by 1 comment

A screencast is nothing more than a digital recording of one’s computer screen, which is usually accompanied by some sort of audio narration that explains what’s  happening. Screencasts are useful because they allow you to demonstrate a specific activity or teach others how to perform a particular task, which might otherwise be too cumbersome to explain over the phone or through chat. Another useful way to use screencasts is to record a presentation, which can then be uploaded as a video (youtube), downloaded as a movie file, or  shared via a link.

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Advising notes: A MAPP for consistency

July 30, 2011, by 3 comments

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.

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Distance Advising Prezi

July 4, 2011, by No comments yet

Watch a Prezi presentation about the three primary categories of Distance Advising: Online students, technology in advising, and advising considerations. These categories are based on an article by George Steele of the Ohio Learning Network. Read the article here. In this Prezi, you will move through each category. First you will learn about important characteristics of online students. Second, you will learn about technologies used in advising. Third, you will learn about advising considerations for this population of students. Read more →

Academic Advising TIP: Theory Into Practice

July 3, 2011, by 2 comments

There’s more than one way to do academic advising. We wear many hats. Sometimes we act as mentors/coaches who diligently guide students through their educational journey. Other times we function as expert consultants who provide information and offer advice. With all these different approaches, who determines which is best? Where do our ideas about “good” academic advising come from? Academic advising theory addresses these questions.  So what’s your theory?

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How to Build Relationships…At a Distance

July 2, 2011, by 5 comments

Building relationships with online students can be challenging for many reasons. Aside from the lack of face-to-face interaction, faculty and advisors may already have multiple responsibilities and roles within an institution, limiting the time they can invest in relationship-building. Moreover, cultural differences in communication styles influence how rapport is developed and adapting to them can be challenging. Still, some students may not realize the extent to which they must be self-directed in the learning process, which can fuel negative feelings when expectations are not aligned with reality. In person, faculty and advisors use body language to develop rapport (e.g. smile, eye contact, handshake). In online learning, however, that direct contact doesn’t exist. So how can we compensate for the distance that separates us from our students? What exactly must we do to build relationships at a distance?

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Don’t Make Contact, Make Connections

June 26, 2011, by No comments yet

Academic advisors are in the business of relationships; it’s what we do. We talk to students about their future aspirations, prepare them for academic success, and help them navigate the labyrinth of university policies and procedures. For some reason however, when one talks about distance advising, the latest technology in academic advising dominates the conversation; as if the relational aspect of academic advising is irrelevant. Why is that?

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