Exploring Advising Reaching Distance Learners Through Online Advisement Courses NACADA National Presentation – October 2014

Introduction Lydia Cross, Director ◦ M.Ed. Secondary Education ◦ Theresa Duggar ◦ M.Ed. Higher Education Administration ◦

Presentation Outcomes Discuss research on barriers to persistence in distance education courses and programs Discuss advising challenges and opportunities for distance education students Demonstrate Georgia Southern College of Education online advisement course pilot program Discuss strategies at other institutions for advising distance education students

Georgia Southern University Founded in 1906 Located in Statesboro, Georgia (approximately 50 miles west of Savannah, GA) Largest comprehensive university in south Georgia Dedicated to academic distinction in teaching, scholarship, and service Carnegie Doctoral/ Research University Fall 2013 Enrollment ◦ Undergraduate:17,904 ◦ Graduate: 2,413 Student/Faculty Ratio ◦ 22:1

College of Education Ranked in the top 50 in U.S. News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Programs Fall 2013 Enrollment ◦ Undergraduate: 938 ◦ Graduate: 1, Academic year ◦ 25 graduate programs 11 Masters 9 Education Specialist 2 Doctoral 3 Endorsement ◦ 15 fully online and 2 hybrid programs

Online Education Research Moore and Kearsley (2005) - most distance education students are adults between the ages of 25 and 30. Patterson and McFadden (2009) - dropout rates in online programs are 6-7 times higher than traditional programs. Boston, Ice, & Gibson (2011) - student retention in online courses is lower than in traditional, face-to-face courses. Berge and Huang (2004) - three variables impact online student retention and persistence: ◦ Personal, Institutional, Circumstantial

Muilenburg and Berge (2005) completed a large-scale factor analysis study that found 8 factors that contribute to barriers for online learning: ◦ Administrative Issues ◦ Social Interaction ◦ Academic Skills ◦ Technical Skills ◦ Learner Motivation ◦ Time and Support for Studies ◦ Cost and Access to the Internet ◦ Technical Problems

Administrative Issues ◦ Lack of sufficient academic advisors online ◦ Lack of clear expectations/instructions ◦ Difficulty contacting academic or administrative staff ◦ Lack of support services such as tutors ◦ Insufficient training to use the delivery system Social Interactions ◦ Lack of interaction/communication among students ◦ Online learning seems impersonal ◦ Afraid of feeling isolated The most severe barrier perceived by students was the lack of social interaction

COE Online Advising Challenges Self advisement Learner struggles with online environment Loss of personal contact Decentralized information Students’ life situations

Online Advising Opportunities Innovation through technology “One-stop shop” for information Accessible 24/7 Building virtual relationships Consistency in messages Efficient use of advisor time

Office Self-Analysis of Advising Practices Pros ◦ Immediate contact with newly admitted students ◦ Advisor knowledge ◦ Student-advisor relationships Cons ◦ Tracking student usage of information ◦ FAQs ◦ Utilization of technology options

Office Self-Analysis of Advising Practices Academic Impressions Conference – Academic Advising in a Virtual World Past NACADA Conferences Researched online institutions’ websites

Development of Advisement Course Online Advisement Course Development Process: Course & Syllabi Development in Spring 2014 Course demonstration Enroll students Notify students Utilize course to communicate with students Review of course analytics

Syllabus

Single Sign-on

Course Management System

Advisement Course

Course Data

Initial Analysis of Online Course Advisement Data from both courses ◦ Master’s Students enrolled: 149 Utilized: 89.9% Average module completion: 5.4% Average total login: 51.4 ◦ Specialist Students enrolled: 98 Utilized: 83.7% Average module completion: 13% Average total login: 49.6

Opportunities to Move Forward Host regular chats for students enrolled for virtual, real-time question and answer session Tie in more student services and academic support into the learning module Get faculty and program coordinators more involved in the online courses in active ways

Discussion What strategies do you use for advising distance education students?

Questions and Comments Thank you for attending! We will upload the presentation to the NACADA conference website.

References Berge, Z. & Huang, Y. (2004). A model for sustainable student retention: A holistic perspective on the student dropout problem with special attention to e- learning. DEOSNEWS, Volume 13 (5) Boston, W. E., Ice, P., & Gibson, A. M. (2011). Comprehensive assessment of student retention in online learning environments. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 14(1). Retrieved from Moore, M.G, & Kearsley, G. (2005). Distance education: A system view (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. Muilenberg, L., Berge, Z. (2005). Student barriers to online learning: A factor analysis study. Distance Education, (26)1, Patterson, B., McFadden, C. (2009). Attrition in Online and Campus Degree Programs. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 12(2). Retrieved from