Developing Student
Orientation Modules for
Online Education Programs
at
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
and Rowan University
Dennis Fotia, Diane Holtzman and Deb Dagavarian
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
and
Michael Ciocco
Rowan University
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010
Atlantic City, June 10th 2010
Need for Orientation to
Distance Education
The distinctive nature of an online course as
compared to a face-to-face (F2F) course:
• Both teaching and learning to be addressed
• Technology also needs to be addressed
• Students must be prepared for Distance Education
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Why have a Student Orientation for
Distance Education?
• To free individual faculty from having to determine if a
student is ready for an online course
• For the student to self-assess his/her own readiness for online
learning
• To make sure that students understand the nature of online
education and are realistic about the type and amount of
work involved
• To explain what is involved in the particular institution’s
online courses
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Learning Outcomes of Online
Orientation at Stockton
• To learn or get a refresher on basic technology, time
management, and organizational and study skills.
• To learn how to write and read in an academic, online
environment.
• To learn the basics of online etiquette, or netiquette.
• To find out specifically how Stockton offers its Distance
Education courses.
• To be able to decide for yourself if you are ready to take an
online course.
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Publication Endorsed by all Regional Accrediting Associations
• Student support consists of many components, including
assisting “the prospective student in understanding
independent learning expectations as well as the nature and
potential challenges of learning in the program’s technologybased environment.”
(http://www.msche.org/publications/distguide02050208135713.pdf, p. 15).
• The Commission notes the importance of student preparation
for online or distance learning, and the institution’s necessary
commitment to facilitating this preparation.
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
USDLA Journal
“All first-time distance education students should be given a
clear statement of course requirements in advance.
This should include: 1) all course requirements; 2) the weekly
time commitment and specific computer skills required by the
course; and 3) a presentation of the practical difficulties of
working at a distance and what is needed to manage those
challenges successfully.”
http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/NOV01_Issue/article03.html
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Online Orientation To Promote
Interactive Learning
• Good practice encourages students to “discuss” course work
with one another in online environment
• Good practice also encourages students to “discuss” course
work with professor in online environment
• Orientation can introduce students to these critical concepts
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Why an Orientation?
Rowan University
• Welcome Back!
▫ Most students are Continuing Ed
 Community College Transfers
 Taking on a Masters/Doctorate Program
 Adding to their credentials
▫ Lapse since Students last participated in a class environment
• Are You Ready for This?
▫ Technophile = Computer Literate (NOT always TRUE)
 Many recent Grads who start a Continuing Ed or Graduate
program lack essential computer skills
▫ Online/Hybrid courses are convenient & flexible, but still
require commitment
 Student Perception: Online = Easy (Almost Never True)
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Goals of Orientation
Rowan University CGCE
• Get Students Started Early
▫ Prepares students before the first class starts
• Set Expectations
▫ Make clear the style of the course offerings (online, hybrid,
web assisted)
▫ Expected Commitments
▫ Policies and Procedures
• Inform students about how to access Services
▫ Technical Support
▫ Administrative Support (registration, financial aid, grades)
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Limitations of Orientation
Rowan University CGCE
• Bound Orientation Materials such that they
▫ Are pertinent to the first-time student
 Do not drown the first-time student in a see of
comprehensive information
▫ Do not dive much below the surface
 Retention of training materials and information is often
poor when not put immediately into practice
▫ Require minimal support
 “Self Service” style orientations force students to explore
the material
 Make this easy to maintain and update for your
institution
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Commitment to Orientation
Rowan University CGCE
• Rowan is strongly committed to offering and improving
orientation materials
• Customer Service & Support is a priority
• How to Commit Students to Orientation?
▫ “We Told You So” approach
 Warn Students of the Perils of not Completing the
Orientation Course
▫ Some faculty/programs integrate it into their courses
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Overview of Online Orientation Modules
The Richard Stockton College of NJ
• Basic Technology
• Time Management, Study Skills and
Organizational Skills
• Written Communication and Reading
• Netiquette
• Distance Education at Stockton
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Overview of Online Orientation Modules
The Richard Stockton College of NJ
Basic Technology
•
•
•
•
•
Basic word processing skills
Cutting and pasting
Using mouse (right click)
Search engines
Course Management Systems (CMS/LMS)
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Overview of Online Orientation Modules
The Richard Stockton College of NJ
Time Management, Study Skills
and Organizational Skills
•
•
•
•
•
Use of calendars and PDAs for class assignments
Creating “to-do” list
Organizing work area
Saving work/creating back ups
File management (organization)
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Overview of Online Orientation Modules
The Richard Stockton College of NJ
Written Communication and Reading
•
•
•
•
Emphasize amount of reading and writing in an online course
Importance of writing clearly
Importance of grammar, punctuation, and citations
Diversity of writing assignments: discussion posts, formal research,
and blogs
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Overview of Online Orientation Modules
The Richard Stockton College of NJ
Netiquette
• Online courtesy and respect for each other
• Limit use of acronyms and emoticons
• Avoiding improper postings and “IM-ese”
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Overview of Online Orientation Modules
The Richard Stockton College of NJ
Distance Education
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
CMS/LMS
Technical support/help desk
Registration procedures
Mandatory and additional required meetings
Student evaluations of instruction (IDEA-SRI)
Plagiarism (Turnitin) and academic honesty
Library Online services
Distributed Education instructional methods (hybrid/online)
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Orientation Methodology
Rowan University CGCE
• Keep it To The Point
▫ Blackboard Training Materials are provided in each course
[Course Quick Training – CQT]
▫ Orientation teaches students how to quickly access the
training materials WHEN they need them [Just in Time]
▫ Short and sweet – no video is over 5 minutes long
• Easily Accessible
▫ Housed as a course in the Blackboard system
▫ The Orientation is available 21 days prior to a student’s very
first course
▫ It remains available for as long as the student is registered
with CGCE classes at Rowan
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Orientation Design
Rowan University CGCE
• Consists of Six Five-Minute (or less) Videos
▫ Voice-Over PPT Flash Video plays On Demand
▫ Total Time to complete the Orientation is 30 minutes
▫ Students do not have to complete in one sitting
• General Theme: “Where you should go for…”
• Contains a Blackboard Practice Area
▫ Setup like a sample course
▫ Sandbox area for students to test Bb tools
• Handouts Area provides PDF handouts of all Slides used in
videos
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Orientation Modules
Rowan University CGCE
• Introduction – Sets the tone and expectations for the
orientation and videos to follow.
• Online Services – Learn where to access Student Portal,
Blackboard, Banner, Tech Support, etc.
• Computer Tune-Up – Perform a computer compatibility
check; deal with any computer issues
• Course Structure – Presentation of standardized Rowan CGCE
course structure and how to navigate the course in
Blackboard
• Syllabus – Overview of standardized Rowan CGCE course
syllabus
• Blackboard Tools – Overview of Blackboard course tools; what
each tool is for and where to access it
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Video Module Design
Rowan University CGCE
• Common Components
▫ Title Slide with definitive title
▫ Session Overview: defines learning goals of the video
▫ General Content
▫ Session Wrap Up: reviews learning goals of the video an
recaps any important points.
• Recordings (Voice-Over) are scripted. Script is provided for
ADA compliance
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Orientation Demo
Rowan University CGCE
Online Student Tutorial – CGCE Blackboard System
Holtzman, Dagavarian, Fotia & Ciocco. Developing Student Orientation Modules for Online Education Programs
Presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2010 on June 10 th 2010
Thank you for attending our session!
Diane Holtzman, Dennis Fotia, and Debra Dagavarian
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
and
Michael Ciocco
Rowan University