Online ≠ Asynchronous: (Non-) Traditional Methods of Academic Integration in an Online Program Forrest Lane, Ph.D. D. Patrick Saxon, Ed.D. Sam Houston State University forrest.lane@shsu.edu SHSU Online Teaching and Learning Conference, March, 2016

Borrowing from Tradition There’s a dearth of research on the administration and effectiveness of online graduate programs. There’s plenty of literature on administering effective traditional graduate programs. Learner engagement intuitively centers on face-to-face interaction. Online program administrators should transfer best practices from a traditional context to the online setting, especially with regard to extracurricular activities. The academic department is in a strategically important role to make this happen.

Success = Integration Tinto (1993) theorized that the success of graduate students was supported by their integration with the academic department and the discipline. Immersion in the local (department) and national (discipline) communities are the more relevant means of integration, engagement, and socialization for graduate students. At this stage in their academic pursuits, graduate students are more concerned with an integral fit of their intellectual interests and related career opportunities. This renders the academic department housing their chosen graduate program a gatekeeper to the discipline, and a representation thereof. Golde (2005) stated “…departments are the local instantiation of a discipline. [They] also act as lenses and filters, illuminating and privileging particular versions of the disciplinary life to the exclusion of others” (p. 695).

Practical Means of Support The Ph.D. Completion Project (Council of Graduate Schools, 2008) offers promising practices to support students in graduate studies. Embedded practical activities and support services help establish connections among students and their disciplines. Doctoral students judge program quality by the amount of practical research training and support received for meeting degree requirements – again – best initiated at the departmental level. (Morrison et al., 2011). This research applied to traditional graduate programs. We argue that the practices described here are even more important in an online setting.

Connecting and Belonging Building connections among students and faculty outside of the course experience is likely constructive in any academic program. It’s important for students to feel belongingness with the institution (PERTS, 2015). Belonging affects academic motivation (Lane, Martin, & Thompson, 2015) and graduate degree persistence (Strayhorn, 2012).

Connecting and Belonging The concern is that online students report feelings of isolation (Rovai & Wighting, 2005) and a lowered sense of belonging compared to their peers (Lane, Martin & Henson, 2015). Fifty percent of graduate students leave their program before completing their degree (Strayhorn, 2012).

Connecting and Belonging For graduate students, connecting and belonging can be most meaningfully defined and addressed at the departmental or even program level. Socialization is an important part of the graduate student experience. Graduate students need to be seen as a “bona fide” member of their professional field (Strayhorn, 2012).

Graduate Student Socialization “The process by which individuals acquire the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and behaviors that make them effective members of a particular department, school, and/or professional field to which they belong” (Strayhorn, 2012, p. 93).

Knowledge Acquisition There has been a shift from lecture-based courses towards more interactive approaches. Approaches such as collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning, and flipped classes are often less hindered by the physical constraints of traditional classrooms. Student-centered approaches should consider: Learner-content engagement Learner-instructor engagement Peer-to-peer engagement

Learner-Content Engagement Course content should be interactive and engaging for students. Discussion boards are best suited to open-ended questions. Simulations and real-life examples can help to connect theory to practice.

Learner-Instructor Engagement Formative assessment should be provided that is contextualized, timely and transferrable. Courses should incorporate low-stakes assignments that can be taken multiple times to facilitate feedback. Utilize audio and/or video feedback to students. Synchronous technology can also help to foster presence in an online environment. Skype Live Video Twitter Google Hangouts

Peer-to-Peer Engagement Peer-to-Peer interaction is critical to student success (Collier, 2014). At the graduate level, peer-to-peer interaction can be an important part of socialization because students are seen as colleagues. Faculty should consider peer-review assignments. Online tools can be used for curation. Students can follow experts and practitioners through social media as well as share insights gained through these interactions.

Examples Campus Engagement Research and Internship Opportunities Support for Engagement in Professional Associations Dissertation/Thesis Support

Questions and Comments Email: forrest.lane@shsu.edu patrick.saxon@shsu.edu