Tracking Online Student Engagement Presented by Kimberly Webster eLearning Instructional Coach Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

Introduction Research suggests that online students are more likely to be successful when they: log in regularly and log in regularly and meet course timelines. meet course timelines. Therefore, these are the 2 criteria that we have identified to help us track online student engagement so we can identify students that may need additional support to be successful

Communicating Student Progress Our goals are: to improve student achievement to improve student achievement to provide every student with opportunities to experience success to provide every student with opportunities to experience success With this in mind, the progress of online students is communicated regularly to: the online student the online student the student’s contact at their home school – guidance, Student Success Teacher, etc. the student’s contact at their home school – guidance, Student Success Teacher, etc. parents (if students is under 18) parents (if students is under 18)

How Student Progress is Communicated Teachers may communicate student progress in many ways: to students, home school, parents/guardians (if student is under 18) to students, home school, parents/guardians (if student is under 18) school progress reports and/or report cards school progress reports and/or report cards phone calls to home school and student’s home phone calls to home school and student’s home through system Student Progress Updates which are posted every 1-2 weeks through system Student Progress Updates which are posted every 1-2 weeks

Online Student Engagement Tracking Form To help you identify how students are progressing in your online course, a tracking form has been developed to help you track and communicate student behaviours around logging in and meeting timelines Many online teachers use this tracking form, or a form they have developed themselves, to track student progress and achievement

Online Student Engagement Tracking Form

Retrieving Your Tracking Form template Download the Online Student Engaging Tracking Form template file. Save the file with a new name which includes the course code of your placement class and the unit you are tracking. Example:StudentEngagement_GWL3O_Unit1.rtf

Setting up your Tracking Form Using your course Checklist for reference, fill in all of the tasks that are listed for the unit you are tracking. Include any due dates if noted Include any due dates if noted Using the course Classlist, fill in the names of all of the students you are tracking (see sample form)

Tracking Student Engagement in the Discussion Forum Log into your course every day. Go to the Discussion Board and read every posting read every posting note the first date each student has authored a posting note the first date each student has authored a posting enter the date on your tracking form (e.g., Feb. 12 entered as F12) enter the date on your tracking form (e.g., Feb. 12 entered as F12)

Tracking Student Engagement in the Dropbox Go to the Dropbox and check for any new submissions check for any new submissions enter the date of every submission on your tracking form (e.g., Feb. 14 entered as F14) enter the date of every submission on your tracking form (e.g., Feb. 14 entered as F14) Note: Check submission feedback. If file is not submitted in the requested format, it should not be noted until the correctly- formatted file is submitted, e.g.,.rtf

Tracking in Other Tools Review your course Checklist to see if any tasks involve tools other than the Discussion Board or the Dropbox. Example: Survey tasks, Quiz tasks, Blog tasks Monitor those tools in a similar way.

Identifying Student Progress Levels On the Monday of each week, review your Student Engagement Tracking Form from the previous week and decide on a current progress level for each student of your students. These progress levels are outlined on the next slide. Note: Each level refers to student’s behaviour in terms of logging in and meeting timelines.

Student Progress Levels Progressing Well Student is progressing well, i.e., logging in regularly and meeting course timelines. Satisfactory Student progress is satisfactory, i.e., logging in somewhat regularly and meeting most of course timelines. Needs Improvement Some concerns about student progress, i.e., not logging in regularly and/or not meeting course timelines. Credit Alert Student’s credit is in jeopardy, i.e., not logging in and/or not meeting course timelines.

Communicating Student Progress If you are a member of the Ontario eLearning Consortium (OeLC), the SSeS Website has a Student Progress tool that allows you to post updates on student progress. Teachers are encouraged to update student progress weekly. When progress is updated a report is generated and automatically ed to the student, home school and parents. If you do not have access to this tool you will want to develop a strategy for communicating student progress regularly.

Questions? Comments? Please contact: Kimberly Webster eLearning Instructional Coach Ottawa-Carleton District School Board , x8500 Or Join Us in the Online Assessment, Evaluation & Reporting eCommunity at