Suggested Guidelines for Advising Online Students
Rockville Counselor Meeting 10/4/07

Students need help at three times:

· When deciding whether or not to take an online course

· Once a decision has been made to take an online course

· During the semester

1. Helping a student decide whether or not to take an online course

Successful online students frequently:

• Have a higher level of motivation and self-discipline than is required in traditional face-to-face courses.
• Have or be willing to develop computer skills.
• Spend more time studying than in a traditional face-to-face course. Students often mistakenly assume that online classes take less time. 

First time online students:

• Should not take more than one online class to make sure this is a good way for them to learn.
• Should not take an online class just because the traditional class is not available.
• Should consider whether they enjoy interacting in an online environment using email, discussion forums and online chats. It requires lots of reading and writing.
• Should consider their level of need to take a online class (time-constraints, preferred delivery method, work and family responsibilities, travel time to school, computer availability)
• Students should consider how the online course format fits into their study schedule: synchronous (set meeting schedule for online chats) or asynchronous (no set meeting schedule), required on campus meetings or proctored exams? 

Characteristics of successful online students

• Must be self-directed and conscientious about completing assignments. 
• Students will not have someone there face-to-face to remind them of assignments.
• Students will need to be able to follow directions or be willing to initiate communication with the instructor when they have a question.
• Students may get less direct feedback and may need to monitor their own progress more closely.
• Have strong time management and organizational skills.
• Be willing to use new technologies they have not tried before
• Not be procrastinators
• Students in the following categories have been shown to be less successful when taking online classes:
• Students on academic restriction
• Students who have successfully completed less than 12 college credits
• Students who have previously failed multiple online classes
• Developmental education students
• Student who are habitual procrastinators

• For additional information – point students to the Distance Learning Orientation which includes a readiness inventory.

http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/distance/orientation.html

READI

MC is thinking about purchasing software to assess readiness in the areas of technical skills, typing speed, on screen reading speed & comprehension, learning styles, discipline, motivation, and time management http://www.readi.info/index.cfm?fuseaction=home

We have a trial version – please try it out and let me know what you think. The ODL thinks it’s more appropriate for counseling to take the lead on this type of tool.

Login as student

http://sample.readi.info

User/pass   mcmd/student

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2. Once a student decides to take an online course

• Students should visit the Distance Learning web site and complete the Orientation http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/distance/orientation.html
• Students should evaluate their computer skills by taking the Technical Skills Self-Assessment to ensure that they are ready to take online classes.

http://www.marylandonline.org/prospective_students/assess/tech_savvy

• Students should make sure the computer they are planning to use for their online course meets the hardware and software requirements http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/distance/dm.html
• Students should review the WebCT Tutorials at http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/distance/lessons/students/student_tutorials.html
• Before registering for an online class, students should talk to a counselor on campus or email an advisor:
• Germantown
• Rockville
• Takoma Park/Silver Spring
• Students should review the online credit course schedule from the Distance Learning website http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/distance/fall07.html   If they select the
• Email link, they can communicate directly with the instructor
• Course prefix and number, they will be directed to the link to their course
• Students who want additional information should go to the Online Student Success Center at http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/studevgt/onlinsts/

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3. Help during the semester

• About a week before the beginning of the semester, students should be able to enter the Online Companion: An Online Student’s Guide to Success from the My WebCT entry page. http://distance.montgomerycollege.edu/webct/logonDisplay.dowebct

This virtual counseling center is available to all students with a WebCT account throughout the semester.  Here students have easy access to counselors, teachers, and students from other courses.  They can ask questions, get information about important deadlines, and develop a sense of community with other online learners, counselors, and faculty.

• Email an advisor:

o Germantown

o Rockville

o Takoma Park/Silver Spring

• Meet with a counselor on campus

o Germantown

o Rockville

o Takoma Park/Silver Spring

What Online Students Want to Tell Faculty http://www.ctdlc.org/Evaluation/WhatStudentsWantToTell.html

While these statements are based on general observations and a review of online learning research, it is understood that each student is brings a unique background and motivation which should be considered when recommending online courses.