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 →
Posts tagged: online advising
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.
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.
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.
Zoho – Free Chat, CRM, and then some
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
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.
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.
Academic Advising TIP: Theory Into Practice
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?
How to Build Relationships…At a Distance
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?
Don’t Make Contact, Make Connections
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?
