The surge in online education has created a unique student challenge for the college instructor. In addition to those educational issues faced by their brick-and-mortar counterparts, such as truancy, tardiness and class disruption, the virtual instructor has a new task that calls on a different set of soft skills. These unique expectations cross over into the realm of pseudo therapy.
Personality and learning
The widespread habit of plagiarism, the superficial, drive-by postings in online forums and those all too-frequent late or missing assignments may represent symptoms that can be traced to the student's core personality.
Internal motivation, confidence level and self awareness are the most predominant of these personal traits. When these are lacking or flagging in the student, then it often falls on the instructor to stimulate these intrinsic aspects in the student. The instructor must take off the educator hat and put on the personal coach cap.
What complicates this dynamic even further are the sometimes subtle reminders from the educational institution regarding retention, and the omnipresent awareness of financial aid attendance and grade requirements. These issues, while significant, will not be addressed in this article.
Successful online students
Before approaching the matter of unique online instructor challenges, it is useful to review what factors predict success in an online student. Numerous studies and academic papers have addressed this common question. A scholarly paper published in Educational Technology & Society looked at a number of student variables such as age, gender and learning style. However, none of these factors had a significant impact on student success rate.
Instead, the authors of the study concluded that, "student success is highly dependent on being a self-regulated learner and using self-regulated strategies in online courses." (Yukselturk, Bulut, 2007, p. 80) In other words, those online students with the highest success rates think and work independently and are not in need of external motivation to complete their assignments.
Another paper found that certain personality traits coupled with emotional intelligence (EI) made for a successful online student. (Berenson, et al, 2008) Highly social students, those with resilience to stress, self awareness and an internal locus of control all achieved a higher Grade Point Average (GPA) than their counterparts. These traits also correspond to a high EI.
Age was also a factor, and this might be interpreted as chronological age or the number of successful online courses under the student’s belt.
Less successful online students
Interestingly, some of the first assumptions made about the individual who would most likely pursue education online were related to personalities who do not interact as comfortably in the “real world” and do not fit into the Berenson profile above.
So for example, the introvert would be attracted to this form because there was presumably no need for social interaction. Likewise, students who were less assertive in their daily lives or whose confidence fluctuated according to outside applause would gravitate to the virtual world. Here, their slow mastery of learning would not be apparent to others; and the competitive demand for success in a traditional classroom would supposedly be lessened.
However, according to the studies mentioned, these students would actually be less likely to succeed online. But these are often the students that require coaching, cheering, pushing and prodding by the online instructor.
Online educator frustrations
The idea of sociability online means that a student reciprocates in online discussion boards, and is easily able to flow with the give and take of the virtual classroom. When the introverted student finds it alien to jump into a stream of electronic voices and respond assertively to conversations, then this will definitely affect his or her grade and ultimate GPA.
The introverted student or the individual with low self confidence may be the one who leaves abrupt, fragmented answers with no hint of personality. Or it may be the student who copies and pastes instructions into a forum and answers each as if participating in an itemized survey. There is no risk-taking, little in the way of personal revelation. This absence of a personalized response might indicate a student who lacks assurance about his or her beliefs, and is unwilling to chance disclosure.
Instructors will have little to no chance of switching an introverted student to an extrovert. They may not have the time, energy or resources to encourage confidence. At best, they can persuade these students to expand on their meagre offerings. But, this expected role for the instructor is not about teaching; it is personal coaching. Not every educator is qualified or comfortable in this expanded persona.
Motivation and the online student
Motivation and self-regulation build upon each other. Individuals with concrete ambitions attached to their program of study are able to keep the goal in mind during the tough times of academics.
Yet, students without solid motivation are not likely to have the self discipline needed to assure success. When they have no clear academic or career objectives, there is no metaphorical pot of gold to urge them forward. Or the rewards are insubstantial. They may have selected an online degree program because they thought it would be easy or because the glory of a degree attracted them. They may be enrolled in a program simply for the financial aid benefits or some dreamy glamor attached to working in a particular job that requires college education.
Motivation can be instilled. In the virtual world of education, it may fall upon the instructor to provide this catalyst. Socratic teaching methods that elicit thoughtfulness from students may help. Reminders at the start of a course which trigger objectives for students may have a temporary effect.
But when the student’s motivational level is subpar, these practices reinforce external motivation rather than build internal drive. Results of this coaching and cajoling may show themselves in plagiarized papers or late projects. Students without that internal regulation often lack time management skills or procrastinate to the point of failure.
Solutions for online instructors
Educational institutions can resolve the plight of the online instructor by changing their marketing messages. Rather than appealing to students who have previous records of academic failure, colleges and universities need to promote the reality of virtual learning.
Screening methods need to be in place to assess a student’s academic readiness. But more importantly, newly enrolled students should be required to complete introductory courses that determine their ability and persistence in an online environment. Transfer students should also undergo mandatory courses which assess their academic readiness and suitability to an online learning environment.
Finally, the onus on faculty to artificially motivate students who lack internal commitment should be removed by academia. This burden is pervasive, and is both implicit and explicit. While the requirement for a student-centered strategy is the bedrock of online education strategies, this does not extend to faculty-student interactions that verge on the therapeutic. Let learners who wish to learn do just that, and allow instructors to fulfill their role as educators without adding a counselor cap to their professional duties.
Sources
Berenson, R., Boyles, G., & Weaver, A. (2008). Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Success in Online Learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(2).
Yukselturk, E. & Bulut, S. (2007). Predictors for Student Success in an Online Course. Educational Technology & Society, 10 (2), 71-83.
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