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 →
Posts tagged: e-advising
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 Instruction & The LMS
The LMS (learning management system) market has been dominated by Blackboard for years but low-cost, free, and open source alternatives are on the rise (see OpenClass). The LMS seems to play a pivotal role in online learning and I wonder to what extent are instructional methods adapted to fit the design and features of the LMS versus adapting the LMS to fit online instructional methods. For example, some institutions do not use whiteboards or lecture-capture software because they rely strictly on discussion forums, tests, and papers whereas other institutions incorporate more live and recorded lectures into the classroom and use whiteboards. Are these decisions strictly based on what features the LMS offers or is the pedagogy/andragogy agreed upon first, before the LMS is implemented? Who decides what features should be built into the LMS? 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 →
Gamification in Education
Gamification is a term that describes using “game thinking and game mechanics to engage users and solve problems.” (Zicherman & Cunningham, 2011, p. xiv). Games are very good at manipulating behavior because they keep us engaged in an experience not by happenstance, but by design. They do this by intentionally appealing to what we value, want, and need, which is why many companies have “gamified” their marketing campaigns to captivate consumers and drive profitability (e.g Nike +). Game mechanics refers to the tools used to meet this goal, such as points, levels, leaderboards, badges, etc. So what does this all have to do with education? 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”)
6 degrees of separation?
So what does a Hungarian author, a Jewish-American social psychologist, and an American playwright have in common with Facebook? Today I read a New York Times article that shed some light on the 6 degrees of separation concept – the idea that everyone on the planet is connected by no more than 6 acquaintances.
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.
Desktop Sharing in Distance Advising
Desktop sharing is an easy way to collaborate online because you can meet with people from around the world at one convenient location in real time – your desktop! Chances are if you work or go to school, you use a computer quite frequently. Online students usually do both, so it is important to open lines of communication with them in a convenient, time-effective way. Distance advisors can use desktop sharing to conduct group advising sessions, deliver presentations, or even provide remote assistance if necessary.
