21308f


 * Proposal submission #**21308

Orienting and Preparing New Adult Online Students Online
 * Title**

Karl M. Soehnlein, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, USA, soehnlka@shu.edu
 * Presenter(s)**

Although online or distance education has been growing enormously over the past decade, many adult graduate students have never taken an online class and, therefore, have some concerns about functioning and being productive in this new virtual environment. Seton Hall University's Master of Arts in Strategic Communication program uses a student-centered online orientation to allay those concerns. Prior to the actual start of the program, students are provided with instructions on how to access the Blackboard learning system and how to navigate the orientation Preparatory Unit. The Preparatory Unit is designed to emulate the look and feel of all the online courses, including assignments and a discussion board topic, and it provides students with all the information that they need to be successful in this program. Furthermore, students start to interact with one another on the discussion board and get to know one another as they share biographical information (one of their first assignments). Anecdotal feedback from students at the on-campus residency that kicks off the program indicates that their fears of online learning are reduced, they feel confident about their ability to learn in this environment, and they feel good about their classmates.
 * Description**

Forum Not previously published All audiences
 * Notes & Comments**