We all have students who struggle a little more than others. Some students have difficulties understanding the material and others struggle with time management. Some students have personal situations arise that impede their academic success. This is where you can step in and help them succeed by referring them to the right resources!
- Students need to be able to communicate through writing.
Most of the assignments in an online class are written assignments. Students must be able to communicate concisely and clearly. If you have a student who struggles with his or her writing assignments, refer them to Smarthinking. Smarthinking is an online tutoring service available 24/7 and is completely free to the student. There’s a link to Smarthinking within every D2L course in the navigation bar. If a student is struggling with citations, you can refer them to Purdue OWL or one of UNG’s librarians for assistance. - Students must be self-motivated and self-disciplined.
Most students believe that online courses are going to be easier than their on-campus counterparts since there is no specific time they need to log on or “dedicate” to class. However, we know that’s false. Online courses take tremendous time management and self-motivation on the student’s part. You can help students by creating a detailed course schedule and/or using the calendar tool within the D2L course. Another way to help your students is to encourage them to use a planner to write out assignment deadlines and separate study time early on in the semester. - Students must be willing to “speak up” if problems arise.
Professors have no way of knowing if an online student needs additional help outside of their academic performance since there isn’t a time when you will see them in person. There is no way to gauge if a student is going through hard times and needs to be referred to other resources. Always encourage your students to reach out to you or us if they are experiencing any technical difficulties or are going through difficult situations in their personal lives. Remember, the Online Student Success team is here to help! We can help students navigate D2L or refer them to other academic resources, if needed. We can also refer them to Student Counseling, the Dean of Students, and many other resources available to them.