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Before the module starts

Site: OpenLearn Create
Course: Developing a Sense of Belonging in online distance learning
Book: Before the module starts
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Thursday, 28 March 2024, 1:33 PM

1. Provide carefully planned generic induction material

Induction activities should help learners to become familiar with the provided online learning spaces and resources, and to assimilate information about the support available to them before these are put to use during studies.

Ensure students are properly introduced to the software you are using to host the module / programme. It can be useful to house an overview in a separate module, open for the duration of the whole programme. Giving all the information at the beginning can be overwhelming, so decide what is needed before you start and what is needed ‘just-in-time’. Think also about how you name this area – calling it induction may give students the idea it’s only to be visited at the beginning. Perhaps call it “Guide to Resources.” Carefully map with clear signposting initial resources that may be of possible value to learners.

Develop well-designed cognitive maps. Inform self-directed navigation of materials and provision. Avoid being prescriptive; enable learners to decide what they want to know, and in what order. Provide a clear impression of the support services that will be available, preferably mapped in an informative, though again not a directive, way. Include essential contacts for support services. Ensure that availability and method are clear for online learners.

Evidence shows that Higher Education students are most likely to feel part of a programme (as distinct from departmental, school and institutional levels).

Example: Vera created an area called ‘The Hub’ for her programme. This had information about the course (including the handbook) and a computer guide introducing key software being used in the modules. The Hub was also laid out in the same way as the modules to help students navigate their way round. 


2. Share thoughts and tips by learners further along the course

Present the thoughts and tips from learners further along the programme. This might be a video, a discussion board, or an online noticeboard. Think about how you will present this. Will you build any discussion around it? If so, how will you collect questions and comments? Will you invite previous learners to respond to these questions? Will this session be synchronous or asynchronous? Will you record this session and post?

Example 1: After meeting the learners online for the first time and introducing the module, David set aside 15 minutes for two of his learners from a previous cohort to discuss the bullet point list and answer questions from the learners. During this time David left the session and asked for one of the learners to create a list of questions that he would address. At the appointed time, he re-joined the session and answered questions which were more informed and in-depth.

Example 2: Vera has previously set up a Padlet[1] for last year’s students to add their tips. She gives access to the new students who feed back that they feel welcomed and reassured.


 



[1] Padlet allows the tutor to create an online bulletin board where the tutor and students can add notes, images, links and videos, also adding comments on each other’s posts. The size of the board increases as more posts are added https://en-gb.padlet.com/


3. Close the evaluation loop from the last cohort

By presenting the last-cohort’s feedback we role model that we value students’ evaluations. We show them their views matter to us. As well as ‘you said we did’ we should include ‘you said we didn’t’ then explain the rationale. This may pre-empt students identifying the same problems (and of course if we can’t provide a rationale it may be we do indeed need to respond positively to that feedback). We may decide to do this before the module starts or early on in the module.

Example: Mary included two slides in the introduction to her masters in education programme – one ‘you said we did’, the other ‘you said we didn’t’, then talked through the rationale to all comments. Students fed back that they hadn’t seen this done at the start of a programme before but felt they would now be more likely to feed back comments on the programme.

 


 


4. Ensure institutional guidance does not exclude any learners

There is nothing so alienating as reading a document which you think has been written for you, and finding it doesn’t even recognise that you exist. If you are in a university where the majority of students are on-campus, the policies can frequently be written purely from the on-campus viewpoint, often without realising that they have done so. Another example would be if your university has recently changed delivery methods (e.g. blended to online only) or assessment methods. Read through any policies which should apply to your students that you make reference in your module. E.g. the University Assessment Policy. See them from your learners’ point of view. If they are excluded or disregarded, change if you can; notify the owner of that policy if you can’t; and in any case, include a note around the policy to indicate to your students how it applies to them. If possible ask students to check through any guidance / policies. The student union may well have reviewed to bring in the student voice, but does your union have representatives for all students, e.g. do they have off-campus officers?

Example: Freda’s University had spent a lot of time creating a reader-friendly resource for students, but on closer inspection she noticed a lot of references to facilities in the city campus. Some services did mention off-campus students, but didn’t make it clear how off-campus students could access them. She notified the owner of the guidance, who then checked with the services and amended the resource accordingly. The document was given to an off-campus student to check through and a couple more areas were highlighted for enhancement. A summary of changes was fed through to those supporting off-campus programmes.


 


5. Create a safe space for learner communications

Creating a safe place for students where they can feel at home and at ease is a key factor for SoB. For on-campus students this might be their own dedicated teaching room, or it may be a favourite coffee shop. Think about how you can create this online for your students. Should this be within the institutional vle[1] or outwith? If within the vle students may feel watched, so feeling less safe to express uncertainty. They may also expect tutor-intervention. Outwith they may feel restricted by the choice of software, e.g. not everyone wants to be on Facebook, and some may worry about the safety of comments they make. Think carefully about whether you will be in the group or not. How will your presence impact group behaviour? If you choose to be included, you may well be encouraging at least some students to make their own private space somewhere. There is no right answer – think carefully about your objectives and how these are helped and hindered by the different options. Remember, you may not be able to oblige all students to join a group hosted outside the institution, which may lead to some students being excluded. You may want to provide an institutional area but also encourage students to consider what they would find most helpful.

Example: George set up a WhatsApp[2] group, inviting the new students and a PhD student who had previously completed the module. There was no compulsion to join, so George ensured this was not the channel used for communicating key information. A key factor in promoting a sense of belonging is the spin-off from interactions with other learners. Students reported that, once the module started, they already had a sense of belonging and knew each other through the WhatsApp interactions. They were also able to gain reassurance from the PhD student, and get useful information about managing their workload.


 



[1] A virtual learning environment (vle) is a web-based platform used by educational institutions for digital aspects of a course. Examples include Blackboard, Moodle, PebblePad and 

[2] WhatsApp is a free-to-download messenger app for smartphones which uses the internet to send messages including text, images, audio or video. It allows group chatting, voice messages and location-sharing. https://web.whatsapp.com/


6. Introduce the programme team early on

Researchers tell us that personal engagement is a significant contributor to a SoB. With many programmes supported by teams, students sometimes won’t even have a name to deal with, instead communicating with a generic email. How then can we foster personal engagement whilst maintaining the efficiencies we need to cope with increasing numbers of students? Think about how you can introduce the different members of the team. Will it be by name only? A photograph? A voice-over by the member of staff? What will encourage a feeling for learners of personal involvement with the team members? And how can you do this in a manageable way?

Example: Philip is programme director. He includes early on in the induction activities a PowerPoint of all the staff working on the programme. He creates this PowerPoint by inserting one photograph of a member of staff per slide, then audio records a short introduction from each member using Insert Record Audio. This simple approach also means he can easily replace a slide if and when staff membership changes.


7. Contact details of key support staff for the programme

Students want and need to know who to contact for help when they have difficulties. Not knowing can easily lead to ineffective searching, frustration and then to dissatisfaction and a feeling of not being cared for. Even before difficulties occur, it can be reassuring, particularly for off-campus learners, to know where to turn if and when they need assistance. It also airs the legitimacy of students encountering problems and seeking help. A list of key contacts could include library, student services, personal academic tutors/counsellors, administrative and information technological support emails and phone numbers as well as the programme team. Structure course plans to ensure that support services are ready to be contacted to provide speedy, friendly and caring assistance and advice at the outset.

Example: Ajit set up a generic email box for student support which was managed by a rota of academics involved with the programme. Emails were either answered quickly by that member of staff or forwarded to the relevant person e.g. technical, administrative, library. The forwarded email was also copied to the student to inform the student using a standard format that their email had been received, let them know who was dealing with their query, and point them to the correct person for future queries relating to that topic.. The use of the generic email box also meant that staff turnover / sickness / annual leave did not impact the process. 


 


8. Make the programme reading lists available

Often students are keen to get going when they sign up, but there may be a time lag between registering and the start date. This can be a great time to get students engaged with the reading list or preparatory material. Think about whether you want them to have access to all the readings for the module, or a specific reading. Do you want to focus their attention by suggesting an opening task? Or do you prefer to let them engage with what they want, exploring in their own way for a while? Suggestions for areas of reflection can be very helpful in focussing the students. Without this they can feel lost.

Example: Jenny wanted the reading list for her module so she could start skim reading before the course started. The administrators had felt this might give Jenny an unfair advantage over her peers. The reading list was converted to Talis,[1] and the link sent to all students in their welcome email. This also gave students the chance to check they could access the reading list. There were clear instructions given for a support contact if they had any problems.



[1] Talis is an online reading system allowing module online resources to be available to students in a single location. It also allows staff to monitor resource usage. https://talis.com/reading-lists/


9. Encourage students to personalise their email / discussion board name

Many email systems and VLE profiles now allow you to add a photograph. Model by adding your own, and let students know how to add theirs. Respect individual autonomy and privacy issues – some may wish to use a different picture. You could even use this as a reflective exercise.

Example: Margaret asked her module members to add a picture to their email and VLE profile, including a screencast on how to do this. Although she modelled this using her own photograph, she used the word picture to enable choice. Most did post a photograph, but some posted other pictures e.g. a flower, a cartoon character, their national flag. She then introduced a discussion on digital identity, starting off the discussion with her own reflection on previously using a symbolic picture of her identity and now a photograph. This encouraged student reflection – whether because of this or not, one changed her picture to a photograph of herself.