Model for Supporting Online Students’ Success Amie Losee, Director of

Model for Supporting Online Students’ Success Amie Losee, Director of Student Affairs, Baker College Dr. Jessica Hoover, Academic Resources Coordinator, Baker College

Baker College The mission of Baker College is to provide quality higher education and training which enable graduates to be successful throughout challenging and rewarding careers. The College’s Online Learning Model ensures faculty, students, and the institution have rigorous expectations, a high level of engagement, and a strong commitment to success.

Objectives To identify some of the challenges of serving online (OL) students To share best practices and lessons-learned related to serving OL students

Attaining Quality OL Processes Time and Space: online, remote students’ needs differ from on-ground – Key consideration: How to overcome challenges of not being in the same place and same time at the same time. Ease of Access: should be effortless – Key consideration: How to be proactive instead of reactive. Deliberate and Dedicated Resources: should be available in various modes. – Key consideration: All faculty should receive information/education about online learning to increase awareness. Continuous Improvement and Review – Key consideration: Role(s) that support all systems.

Impediments to Attaining Quality Processes Time and Space – Increased expectations for students stress and concerns – Differing resources between on-ground and virtual (no standardization) Ease of Access – Faculty: information / awareness struggles – Students: non-Integrated Student Services and no Virtual Academic Resource Center (ARC) processes or access Deliberate and Dedicated Resources – Faculty: awareness and support was lacking – Students: mirroring tools, but not processes Continuous Improvement and Review – Director of Student Affair - support – ARC Coordinator - support

Overcoming the Barriers Time and Space – Implemented Early Alerts – Deliberate interventions – LMS and aligned curriculum – Adapted Academic Resource Center – virtual options: synchronous and asynchronous sessions Ease of Access – Communication processes redesigned – Integrated Student Services – Virtual ARC access and virtual tools implemented Deliberate and Dedicated Resources – Utilizing LMS – Dedicated DSAs on campus – with both academic program knowledge and academic service knowledge Continuous Improvement and Review – Data collection (in progress) – Results from Early Alert and Virtual ARC

Specific Examples of Tools Virtual ARC: https://baker.mywconline.com/ Early Alert example

Lessons Learned / “Aha” Moments Awareness is an active and deliberate process. Instructions and instructional support are a necessity for success. Learning and improving is cyclical: ongoing continuous improvements in student support

Questions?