Problem: Keeping documents, handouts, and students files organized can be an issue if the virtual learning environment is not arranged in a logical fashion.
Preventative Measures:
Instructors should avoid having students email files or handouts to them as they are easily lost in the inbox. Instead, all student files and feedback should be arranged on the classroom page.
Supports:
Make use of digital organizational tools such as Google Drive. Google Classroom Drives will automatically organize and store student submissions in one convenient location.
Solutions:
Review student submission as soon as possible and provide prompt, descriptive feedback in order to not have student files pile up.
Create pdf files that are grouped by lesson and organized clearly. This will allow you to store and post less files to the VLE. It will also make navigation and organization easier for students.
Use applications or folders to manage bookmarked pages.
Problem:
There are many privacy concerns surrounding online learning. Having students faces and places where they live visible can be concerning for parents, especially those with young children.
Student access to social media while they are learning can also pose privacy concerns. A lack of student knowledge surrounding appropriate online content can become an issue for the classroom community.
Preventative Measures:
Educating students on appropriate online content.
Showing students examples of positive uses of social media (e.g. professional networking, profile building for university applications)
Making students aware of laws surrounding online conduct.
Encourage students to provide only necessary information when in online environments.
Supports:
Encouraging students to use focus applications that restrict distractions during class hours.
Posting a list of guidelines surrounding the privacy of peers and teachers in the online environment.
Solutions:
Develop media literacy skills
Create an open line of communication between parents, students, and teachers.
Description: Making use of content or ideas of another individual or group and passing them off as your own.
Problem: The expansion of the internet has made it much easier for students to plagiarize or contract their work.
Preventative Measures/Solutions:
Educating students on why we should create original content and why we need to give credit to individuals whose ideas they make use of to support their work.
Providing training on citation formats.
Showing students how to use search filters for creative commons.
Educating students on copyrights laws.
Work
Supports:
Using technology to monitor plagiarism such turnitin.com or originality checks on Google Classroom.
-Google Classroom allows students to check their originality report before the assignment has been submitted.
Providing citation guides or resources for students.
Description: Where students collaborate to work on a task and meet a common goal.
Problem: Group work can be difficult to facilitate online, especially if synchronous time is limited and/or if live meetings are not possible.
Preventative Measures: Create a list of useful digital tools that can help facilitate group work. Be familiar with the interface of these tools and design tasks that can be completed by groups both synchronously and asynchronously.
Create a social and active learning community.
Have students complete a survey regarding preferred groupings or working schedule.
Supports:
Build groups of students who work well together or who work on similar schedules. This will make coordination of tasks easier.
Provide or co-create a list of roles that students are assigned to within groups.
Schedule breakout meetings with groups to monitor progress and support challenges.
Solutions:
1. Create tasks that challenge students.
2. Model and support collaborative skills.
3. Facilitate and be involved in group work.
4. Make assessment criteria available and clear to students.
Description: Acceptable online behaviour.
Problem: Students who are not aware of or do not follow netiquette standards can disrupt online discussions, post inappropriate or unprofessional opinions or material, and cause harm to other students.
Preventative Measures/Solutions:
Post a list of guidelines to the VLE that clearly lay out the expectations for the course. Alert students to this post and discuss it during synchronous sessions if possible.
Post and discuss specific examples of appropriate and inappropriate online communication.
For example, how to title a post, address a classmate or teacher, or craft an email.
Remind students that there are real people on the other side of their screen who read and react to their posts.
Reminding students that concepts like sarcasm are not appropriate and likely will not come across over text posts.
Remind students that netiquette does not only apply to the classroom but to all online communication.
Supports:
Instructor presence and monitoring of contributions.
Ability to remove posts from the VLE if they do not follow netiquette standards.
Design tasks that help students build netiquette skills.
Problem: Online discipline can be a difficult topic to approach since you may never meet the student in person and likely have less of a rapport with both the student and their parents/guardians.
Since learning is at least partially asynchronous, it is not possible for the instructor to monitor posts and comments at all hours.
Supports: If your school or organization has a student code of conduct it might be helpful to post a link to this document on the LMS. Set a task around reading and acknowledging the importance of following the student code of conduct.
Preventative Measures:
Getting to know students and being present frequently in the virtual learning environment can lessen the feeling that it is an "unregulated" zone.
Setting clear expectations on behalf of the student in terms of their conduct in the virtual learning environment can model how students should act and interact.
Set a routine for students to follow as they complete the modules.
Keep students engaged so there is less time and/or reasons for them deviate from school-related tasks.
When possible, apply profanity filters or have students submit posts for review before they are released to the class.
Solutions:
1. Redirect student behaviour using positive language. Reaching out to them privately is the best option in an online environment.
2. Model appropriate and expected behaviour.
3. Develop classroom norms collaboratively.
4. Know your students.
Problem: Students who lack motivation, self-regulation skills, or proper resources may complete assignments late or not complete them at all.
Preventative Measures:
Consult with students or guardians early regarding resources to find out if alternative submission methods may be necessary.
Encourage students to keep an agenda or other means of tracking due dates and tasks.
Create meaningful assignments where students have a choice. This will increase their motivation and investment in the task and make them more likely to complete it on time.
Supports:
Post announcements and reminders for students about upcoming assignments.
Make use of digital tools that allow the teacher access to working copies of students assignments. This allows teachers to check-in at regular intervals.
Solutions:
Create tasks that have check-ins or draft copies due in advance of the final due date. This allows the teacher to monitor progress before it is too late.
Resources:
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/late-work/
https://teach4theheart.com/17-ways-get-students-actually-work/ (Not all of these are applicable for online courses but there are some helpful suggestions)
Problem: Online learning requires students to be self-regulated and choose to attend classes. This is particularly the case for high school aged students who often complete courses with little to no parental supervision or involvement. This can result in poor attendance and therefore poor engagement in the course.
Preventative Measures:
Create a rapport with students. If they feel they are valued in the learning environment they are more likely to be present and participate.
Link attendance and assessment. Unfortunately this has the possibility to negatively effect disadvantaged students but this can be curbed by knowing who your students are and their particular learning situation. Linking attendance and assessment gives students who lack motivation a reason to come to class anyway.
The syllabus or course description should clearly state the attendance requirements for students.
Supports: Stay in contact with parents/guardians to ensure that you both are on the same page about attendance requirements.
Record attendance daily and let students know that you are doing so. The expectation should be clear that they need to be in class.
Solutions: Make the course engaging, and value your students. Creating tasks that are meaningful and personalized to student's learning needs will increase their engagement levels.
Problem: Cyberbullying can occur both inside and outside of the online classroom. In both cases it can have long-term damaging effects on a student's mental health and wellbeing.
Preventative Measures/Solutions:
Create or post a class code of conduct. In this document, clearly define cyberbullying and identify that it is not accepted or tolerated in this virtual learning environment. State that you are operating within a safe space for students and that all comments and posts should be aimed at helping each other move forward and reach our goals. Identify that students learn differently and that each individual will have a unique approach to learning. Different ideas are welcomed and help create an open mind and robust perspective.
Be present in the course content. Read all posts and identify and remove posts that include hate speech, hurtful comments, or other inappropriate material.
Supports: Keep an open line of communication and encourage students to contact you through email if they feel uncomfortable with the contributions of peers.