Institutional Resources for Online Student Success

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Starting Off Right: Institutional Resources for Online Student Success Dianna Z. Rust, Thomas M. Brinthaupt & Rodney D. Robbins Published online: 12 Mar 2015.

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BEST PRACTICES


Starting Off Right: Institutional Resources for Online Student Success Dianna Z. Rust Thomas M. Brinthaupt Rodney D. Robbins

As distance learning opportunities have grown both in the United States and internationally, researchers and educators have expressed concerns about online student attrition rates, grades, and participation (Ali & Leeds, 2009; Moody, 2004). For example, Angelino, Williams, and Natvig (2007) reported attrition rates that were 10% to 20% higher for distance education courses than for traditional, face-to-face courses. In a comparison of outcomes for students taking developmental math courses, Ashby, Sadera, and McNary (2011) found completion rates of 93% for students taking face-to-face courses, 70% for blended courses, and 76% for fully online courses. On the other hand, a meta-analysis comparing online to traditional instruction (Shachar & Neumann, 2010) found that online students showed better final grades than students taking the same courses face to face, particularly among the most recent studies. Researchers (e.g., Rovai & Jordan, 2004) have also shown that blended courses—combining aspects of both traditional and online components—produce greater levels of student participation and sense of community than other delivery modes. Despite faculty and administrative concerns over course outcomes (Moody, 2004; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005), students have continued to enroll in online courses in large numbers. For example, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES; 2014) reported that the number of students participating in at least one distance

education course increased from 8% to 20% from 2000 to 2008. From an institutional perspective, nearly 70% of colleges and universities report that online education is a critical component of their long-term planning, although chief academic officers report that faculty acceptance of online learning hovers around only 30% (Allen & Seaman, 2013). With the expanding number of students and higher education institutions participating in distance education, attrition in online courses and programs is a continuing problem. It negatively impacts students through a loss of tuition, delays in reaching their goals, and the emotional impact of not completing. As noted by Moody (2004), attrition also negatively impacts the institution through tuition losses and wasted expenditures used to develop and deliver the course.

Barriers to Student Success Many studies have examined the reasons why students may have difficulty succeeding in or successfully completing their online courses. In a factor analysis of student perceptions of barriers to online learning, Muilenburg and Berge (2005) identified eight major dimensions. The strongest barrier to online student learning was a lack of social interaction, with administrative/instructor issues reported by students as the next most severe barrier.

Dianna Z. Rust is Associate Professor, Thomas M. Brinthaupt is Director of Faculty Development, Learning, Teaching, and Innovative Technologies Center and Professor of Psychology, and Rodney D. Robbins is Manager, Distance Education Student Services, at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. Address correspondence to Dianna Z. Rust, Associate Professor, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 E. Main Street, Box 16, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA (E-mail: [email protected]).


38 • Best Practices

Several researchers have noted that a sense of isolation is common among online students and can result in withdrawal from the online environment (Angelino et al., 2007). Park and Choi (2009) found that adult learners who dropped out of an online course had less positive perceptions of family and organizational support as well as course satisfaction and relevance compared to those who completed the course (see also Street, 2010). Finally, Hart (2012) found that reduced attrition was associated with students’ personal characteristics (e.g., previous experience with online learning and good time-management skills) as well as student support characteristics (e.g., peer and family support and having faculty members who are responsive and attentive). One of the major factors associated with positive online student outcomes at the university level is the lack of agreement in expectations, roles, and responsibilities between online faculty members and online students. Bork and Rucks-Ahidiana (2013) reported large discrepancies between online faculty and students on these dimensions and frequent frustration experienced by both parties. The authors argue that greater socialization efforts with respect to online roles and expectations can help to increase both student and faculty success. In summary, much of the research suggests that lack of success in online courses can be attributed to individual student factors or organizational/instructor support factors. Many barriers to succeeding in online courses relate to the extent of support students receive during the academic term, as well as to students’ expectations and knowledge about how their online courses should work. Efforts to improve online student retention and success must take these factors into account. In the next section, interventions in the research literature designed to improve online student completion are briefly reviewed. We then discuss in detail a comprehensive approach to preparing students for online learning at our institution with the goal of improving online student readiness, participation, and completion.

Interventions That Improve Online Student Success In an integrative literature review, Angelino and colleagues (2007) identified four strategies to decrease attrition in distance education courses: (a) student integration and engagement, (b) a learner-centered approach, (c) learning communities, and (d) online student services. Of these strategies, most reflect the things that online faculty can do in their teaching. Only the use of online student services appears to require minimal faculty commitment,

time, or effort. Providing support for online students that minimizes the work of faculty is an effective strategy to complement the other ways that faculty members can integrate and engage their students (Britto & Rush, 2013). Online student orientations and readiness assessments are two examples of support services that require minimal faculty input. Although “adjustment to college” orientations are commonplace for traditional face-to-face students, “adjustment to online learning” orientations appear to be less common for distance learners. Such orientations are especially important for novice online learners, as research has shown that prior online experience is predictive of student success and retention (Hachey, Wladis, & Conway, 2014). Researchers (e.g., Ali & Leeds, 2009) have found that attending an orientation session is a strong predictor of online student success. Universities have tried a variety of online orientations, ranging from general introductions to taking an online course and being an online student to specific introductions to the course one will be taking. An example of a general approach is described by Jones (2013), who found that implementing a mandatory online orientation improved retention in online courses as well as decreased the number of tickets entered by the Online Help Desk during the first two weeks of the term. Readiness assessments are also a popular tool to evaluate students’ preparation for the online environment (e.g., Farid, 2014). Harrell (2008) suggests that institutions can use readiness assessments to restrict open registration to students who are not academically at risk and who have attributes associated with online success. In summary, whereas there are best practices describing the things that faculty members can do to improve online student success (e.g., Brinthaupt, Fisher, Gardner, Raffo, & Woodard, 2011), there has been less attention devoted to systematic ways for institutions to support their online students. Certain kinds of online student support services, such as orientation programs and readiness assessments, have been shown to improve student retention and success. An integrated approach to online student support that expands upon these tools shows promise for improving online programs and complementing online faculty best practices.

Institutional Resources for Online Student Success Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is a large (24,000+) public U.S. institution, with more than 960 full-time faculty members. In 2009, MTSU offered 567


The Journal of Continuing Higher Education • 39

online courses with an enrollment of 10,409. In 2013, MTSU offered 1,072 online courses, with an enrollment of 19,097. In fall 2013, online and hybrid courses accounted for 30,258 student credit hours resulting in 2,097 full-time equivalents (FTE). Of these 2,097 FTE, 81% were at the undergraduate level. Of the students enrolled in online courses, 48% were 25 years or older compared to only 29.7% of the students enrolled in traditional courses. This indicates that students enrolled in online courses tend to be older than students enrolled in campus-based courses. Online students may be enrolled in an online degree program or may be taking a course to complete a campus-based degree. The University College at MTSU has been tracking student grades and completion rates in online courses for more than 15 years. Since 2008, the college has shown good improvement in the percentage of students who complete online courses with a passing grade and reductions in the number of withdrawals from online courses. As noted earlier, student readiness tools, orientation programs, and student support services are ways to increase success in online courses. In this section, the ways that MTSU is using each of these approaches to increase student success in online courses is illustrated. The program includes early but distributed interventions to help new students who may not realize what online learning entails, and veteran online students who need “just-in-time” services such as tutoring for a particular discipline or online career services as they get closer to graduation. Distance Education Student Services (DESS) is the administrative unit directly responsible for online student services. This unit was organized in 2006 and reports to the Dean of the University College. The unit consists of a manager, assistant coordinator, two test center staff, four advisors, and a graduation analyst. It administers advising, distance education testing, online orientation, and tutoring, and is the central point of contact for online students. In addition, this unit conducts student surveys, collects and analyzes data, and makes recommendations for program improvement. DESS also maintains and updates a comprehensive Student Services Web site (http://www.mtsu. edu/students) that provides a one-stop shop resource for online students. The DESS permits a proactive, centralized approach to the provision of services and support for all online students with no involvement from course teachers. The following overview of the MTSU program highlights components of this centralized approach that target (a) pre-course preparation and (b) support during the course, without the need for faculty member participation.

Before the Course Begins Focusing on early and frequent contact in order to decrease the sense of isolation some online students feel, DESS sends each student a welcome e-mail two weeks before the term begins and then additional e-mails are sent as students continue to register and late add. Because research (Lee & Choi, 2011) has found that deficits in computer skills and experiences of technical problems are a significant barrier for online students, this welcome e-mail includes essential information about logging into class, technology requirements, as well as links to a tutorial for the learning management system (LMS) and access to a sample online course. In addition, within the registration system, a text note is added to all online courses that notifies students to access the Student Services Web page (http://www.mtsu. edu/students) for more information. The LMS tutorial is available at the following site: http://ucdb.mtsu.edu/dltutorial/. This tutorial was rated as helpful by 90% (69 of 76) of respondents in a recent student survey. The sample online course is housed in the LMS (https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/login; username: mtsu_student; password: mtsu_guest). The DESS office also provides a link to a site with written instructions and screen shots for the LMS (http://www.mtsu.edu/d2lsupport/ students/index.php). Another pre-course activity encourages students to complete an Online Readiness Quiz (www. mtsu.edu/universitycollege/distance/distance_test.php). This readiness quiz is strongly recommended by advisors but not required. When students complete the quiz, they receive feedback indicating that distance education courses may or may not currently be the best option for them. The feedback directs the student to discuss these results with his or her advisor. The MTSU program also includes proactive pre-class activities. To ensure the smoothest transition to the upcoming term, the program encourages online students to register early and to avoid having their schedules purged due to non-payment. The activities are also designed to decrease any last-minute online class sign-ups, since those students will be less likely to benefit from the program’s services and resources. Prior to the academic term beginning, the DESS office contacts online student majors who have not registered for the upcoming term to see if there are any registration issues and if any assistance or advising is needed. DESS also contacts any students registered in an online course who have not paid their tuition statements one week prior to the deadline. For both non-registration and non-payment, the program sends an initial e-mail and then a follow-up “courtesy” phone call.



Because of the likely differences between students taking an occasional online course and students who plan to complete a degree completely online, all new students (freshmen or transfers) who are pursuing an online undergraduate major are directed by their advisor to complete an extensive required online orientation prior to registration (www.mtsu.edu/rodpcustoms). At the end of the orientation, students submit a form online and are then cleared to register. Of 2,695 students completing the orientation for fall 2013, 1,681 (62.3%) ranked it very useful and 928 (34.4%) somewhat useful. At the request of faculty members or an academic department, a “permit” designation can be placed on the online course, and students must first request permission online (http://www.mtsu.edu/universitycollege/distance/ pod.php) and receive permission to register for MTSU online classes. Courses that enroll an at-risk population, such as students with low ACT subscores, utilize a permit system in order to confirm that the students understand the technical requirements, time commitment, and course expectations. Some faculty embed a course pre-assessment into the permit process. Since student drop rates have been found to be related to the expectation that online courses are easier than campus-based courses (Nash, 2005), this optional system of requiring permission to register provides an opportunity for the faculty to describe the demands and requirements for their course prior to students signing up for it. The MTSU program also provides enhanced support for academically at-risk students. Registration holds are placed for students with a low GPA and are removed once the student receives academic advising. A Probation Advising for Academic Success (PAAS) program began in fall 2013 for MTSU students who are on academic probation. In addition to three required meetings with advisors (online, in person, or phone), these students must complete an online workshop, self-assessments, goals worksheet, and academic planning worksheet. These documents are reviewed during advising sessions. In summary, the pre-course parts of the MTSU program include a combination of both reactive and proactive activities. In particular, once students register for an online course, they are directed to the appropriate resources that gauge their readiness and ensure that they understand the general operation, requirements, and expectations of online learning. Online students who are “missing” are also contacted in a courteous, nonthreatening manner to ensure that they are aware of deadlines and of other available help options. These activities occur “behind the scenes”

of specific courses and the faculty members teaching those courses, and they require no active input or participation from faculty or departments. Once the Course Has Started Another way that institutions can support their online students is by conducting “behind-the-scenes” activities as their courses progress. As noted earlier, a sense of isolation frequently affects online students and can negatively affect their participation and success in their online courses. To combat a sense of isolation, DESS also connects with students via social media such as Facebook and Twitter. At the time of this writing, the University College’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mtsuuniversitycollege) had more than 7,900 fans. In addition, there were 590 Twitter followers (https://twitter.com/mtsu_uc). Two Facebook contests have been very successful at generating student responses. In the first contest, students posted reasons why they like online classes. For the second contest, students indicated the location where they were “taking” their MTSU online classes and posted a photo. Examples of responses included being on the physical campus (e.g., a dorm room) and at several overseas locations. Students who posted in this contest were entered into a drawing for MTSU gear. This use of social media for enhancing student integration and connection is focused on the broader community of MTSU online students rather than focusing on specific courses. One goal of this initiative was to create a virtual “physical campus” experience for online students. It is, of course, expected that faculty include a variety of other means of engaging their students and creating an online community within the specific courses they teach. The MTSU program does not subscribe to the idea that once students begin their courses, they are “on their own.” After courses have started, DESS sends out periodic e-mails to online students reminding them to utilize tutoring services, schedule midterm and final exams, and in other ways stay caught up with their courses. The office utilizes a software program called MyEmma (http://myemma.com/) which provides customizable e-mail templates, list management, and e-mail reporting and tracking. Status assessments are also an important part of the MTSU program. For example, the DESS office contacts, by e-mail and phone, students who are not engaged in their online courses. In the most recent term, on the tenth day of courses, 188 students were listed on the non-engaged report (i.e., as not having participated in at least one of their online courses). These students were contacted by e-mail and phone and, within three days, this number decreased by nearly 74% (to 50 students).



In order to provide online learners with tutoring support anytime and anywhere, DESS subscribes to an online 24/7 tutoring service called Smarthinking (http://www. mtsu.edu/universitycollege/distance/students_tutoring. php). In fall 2013, 30 online students utilized 175 sessions of free Smarthinking tutoring services. In order to make students aware of this service, DESS sends targeted e-mails to students enrolled in courses that directly relate to the academic subject matter that is supported by Smarthinking (such as math, Spanish, and biology). These e-mails are typically sent a few weeks before unit, midterm, and final exams. Another tutoring option is the University’s Writing Center, which provides online resources for students as well as an option for live chat with a writing assistant (http:// www.mtsu.edu/uwc/students.php). Administration and instructor issues are frequently mentioned as barriers to online student success (Muilenburg & Berge, 2005). The DESS office and Web site provides one point of contact for online student questions, which allows the program to address issues and concerns in a timely manner. In order to track any issues, the office has developed an online form for students to submit concerns (http://ucdb.mtsu.edu/issues/addrecord.php). Form submissions are responded to within 24 hours and resolutions logged for follow-up. In summary, the MTSU program includes several components that support students once their online courses have begun. In particular, the program utilizes social media to help create a sense of community among online students, provides timely reminders of resources and services, and contacts students who are in danger of “falling through the cracks” with their online courses. Once again, these support services and activities are provided without the need for faculty or departmental input or participation.

Evidence of Program Effectiveness As indicated earlier, the DESS office conducts systematic evaluation of services and tracks online student success. Since the development and implementation of the MTSU program, the number of students retained (earning an A, B, C, D, or incomplete grade) in distance learning classes at the university has improved from 63% (in fall 2001) to 82% (in fall 2012). In addition to the improved course retention in distance learning sections, the most recent DESS survey revealed that 86.8% of respondents would take another distance education course. More than 96% of respondents agreed that “the provision of learning resources (e.g., library, tutoring, etc.) and assistance (e.g., help

desk, distance learning student services office, advising, etc.) is adequate.” These data suggest that students are satisfied with their online learning experiences and feel well-supported in their online courses at MTSU.

Discussion This best practice article demonstrates that one of the major benefits of a centralized online student support program is to provide pre-course and during-course services and resources without the participation of faculty and academic departmental staff. Betts (2014) found that both experienced and inexperienced online faculty rated concern about faculty workload as a significant inhibiting factor to participating in distance education; therefore, any process that can be centralized to support online students may improve the consistency of the service as well as the willingness of faculty to be involved in distance education. The MTSU model has several similarities to the system-wide comprehensive approach described by Britto and Rush (2013) within a community college setting. The latter model received administrative support for broad implementation across the system. The MTSU program is institution-based and is almost entirely contained in the DESS unit and the University College. As such, the MTSU program is an alternative approach that may be more applicable and achievable than the Britto and Rush model for many higher education institutions that have a combination of traditional and online programs. Although no data currently address the possibility, the benefit of an improved sense of community for online students was an important goal of the MTSU program. It would be particularly interesting to assess the degree of online student participation in the social media aspects of the program and how much participation and activity is necessary to generate a strong sense of community among the students. It has been well-documented that the lack of connection to one’s university is a concern for online programs (e.g., Rovai, 2002). Research comparing the feelings of connectedness and sense of community of online to traditional MTSU students would also be an interesting next step. From its beginning, the overriding philosophy of the MTSU program has been to educate students regarding requirements to succeed in an online course so that they can make an informed educational choice about this mode of delivery. It is noteworthy that many of the practices that were implemented by DESS to support online students (such as calling students who have not registered and



students who have not paid, as well as contacting students who have not “engaged” in class) have now been adopted by the main campus as part of its broader student success and retention efforts. In summary, the MTSU program is designed to both proactively and reactively support online students in a centralized and comprehensive way. The program is structured to remove the need for individual faculty members or departments to create their own online support activities or to monitor the preparation or general progress of their online students. In times of limited resources and staff, we have found this approach to be helpful for both faculty and departments that are not willing or able to provide the kinds of services included in this centralized program. Even students taking the highest quality online courses may still suffer from barriers, inaccurate expectations, and technical issues unrelated to the design and delivery of those courses. As such, the program complements the online student success efforts of faculty and departments, which are free to focus on course- and discipline-specific content, activities, and assessments.

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