Narrowing the Gap in Student Technology Skills

One obstacle to successfully facilitating an online or Web-enhanced course is how to address the differentiation in student technology skills. This session will explore a variety of resources available to help identify and address the gap in student technology skills.
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1. Getting Started

The level and diversity of the technology skills and experiences of students participating in online or Web-enhanced courses often creates difficult challenges for instructors. At the very least, online instructors would prefer that students meet minimum technology skill requirements when enrolling in a course, but this is not always the case. Even when students meet this minimum requirement, there are often gaps in critical areas.

The first step in addressing this problem is for instructors/facilitators to clearly define the minimum set of skills that students must possess for a successful online experience in their course - and make this information available to students!

Remember when creating a list that nothing is more overwhelming to new learners than being swamped with details and technical language they don’t understand.

The following is an example set of guidelines borrowed from the Georgia Virtual Technical College website: http://www.gvtc.org/forme.asp#dlsa

Basic Skills

Familiar with the operating system of the computer being used to access the Internet course
Understand terms such as mouse, drag, open, select, file, choose, double-click, download, upload, send, etc.
Save, copy and find files/folders on floppy and hard drives
Navigate between two or more applications without closing and re-opening (multitasking)
Minimize/maximize Windows

Email Skills

Send, open, reply to, and forward a message
Enter a message subject
Send an attachment
Open and/or save an attachment

Web Browser Skills

Go to a specific URL
Print a page
Follow a hypertext link
Conduct a basic search using a search engine
Download and install plug-ins

Word Processor Skills

Open a new file
Open an existing file
Save a file
Rename a file (Save As)
Cut, paste, format text
Print a document

2. Identify Students who are
"Technologically Challenged"

So you've defined the minimum skill requirements - now what? Depending on your needs, self-assessment surveys can provide a way for you to identify students who are "technologically challenged" or for students to self-assess their technology skills. There are a variety of self-assessment tools available that allow you to use an existing survey or to create one yourself.

ISTE Profiler
http://profiler.hprtec.org/survey_creation/iste/index.shtml
The ISTE Profiler is a useful tool for identifying skill gaps but can also be used to identify individuals within your group who are already skilled in some applications of technology and would be prepared to help and work with others within your class.

Florida Gulf Coast University: Technology Skills Self-Assessment Survey
http://mercury.fgcu.edu/apps/it/techskills/

Illinois Online Network Self-Assessment Survey
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/IONresources/onlineLearning/selfEval.asp

Colorado Community College Self-Assessment Survey
http://ecollegelogin.ccconline.org/index.real?action=islearn

Sinclair Community College Distance Learning: Self Assessment Survey
http://www.sinclair.edu/academics/dis/pub/distance/orientation/tech.html

Multimedia Schools discussion on developing an online self-assessment survey
http://www.peterpappas.com/journals/mms.htm

For more self-assessments visit the e-Learning: Is it for You? presentation on this site.

3. Orientation

Pre-Course Orientation

Just as with any program, students taking online courses can benefit from an orientation prior to taking an online course. You might consider bringing the entire class to a face-to-face orientation prior to the beginning of a course. This meeting can serve to orient the group with the technology being used and to provide a greater sense of community for the group.

When it isn't practical or appropriate to bring the group to campus, consider providing some form of online orientation option to your course. You can develop tutorials specific to your individual needs, but there are resources at Boise State for just for this purpose:

Website: E-Learning at Boise State: An Online Orientation http://itc.boisestate.edu/orient

Course: An Introduction to E-Learning at Boise State University http://blackboard.boisestate.edu
This one credit course provides an introduction to the essential skills necessary for students taking an online course. A preview version of this orientation is available free of charge. The following topics are covered in self-study modules:

Blackboard course management system
Internet
Computer Literacy
Plug Ins
Searching

The following is an example of a revised guideline table with the associated orientation module (feel free to copy and paste this table into your course):

The following computer skills are needed prior to taking this course. Students are responsible for assessing their own skill levels. Your instructor will not be teaching these skills as part of the course. Tutorials for many of the skills can be found by visiting the course: Introduction to E-Learning at Boise State. A preview version of this course is offered free of charge and is located on the Blackboard login screen. (The module containing the associated tutorial is indicated in red.)

Blackboard Skills (Core Module)

Locate, identify, and use Blackboard resources
Update personal information
Use digital drop box.
Use the threaded discussion features.
Create a student home page.
Become familiar with the Virtual Classroom, Groups, and Task features.

Basic Skills (Computer Literacy Module)

Use Windows Explorer to organize files and folders.
Identify file types by extension.
Use common features in the windows environment to effectively create, identify, and organize files and folders.

Save, copy and find files/folders on floppy and hard drives
Navigate between two or more applications without closing and re-opening (multitasking)
Minimize/maximize Windows

Email Skills (Core Module)

Send, open, reply to, and forward a message
Enter a message subject
Send an attachment
Open and/or save an attachment

Searching Skills (Searching Module)

Identify and use appropriate searching tools for a variety of needs.
Use search engines to locate information relevant to student needs.
Evaluate the quality of information located from online sources.
Become familiar with research tools.

Internet Skills (Internet Module)

Examine a brief history of the Internet.
Evaluate materials found on the Web.
Learn the parts of a URL.
Learn the capabilities of Internet applications (browsers and email).

Plug Ins (Plug-Ins Module)

Download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader
Download and install QuickTime
Download and install viewer software
View a variety of tutorials in QuickTime

Word Processor Skills (Core Module)

Open a new file
Open an existing file
Save a file
Rename a file (Save As)
Cut, paste, format text
Print a document

4. Just-In-Time Resources

The options listed above will also work as just-in-time resources for students. In addition, consider providing links for students to existing tutorials or create short tutorials especially for your course.

Sample Tutorials within this site

Searching
Email
Internet

Tutorial Links

Journey inside the computer at:
http://intel.com/education/journey/index.htm

Computer basics tutorials
http://www.tutorialfind.com/tutorials/computerbasics/

PC911
http://www.pcnineoneone.com

Macintosh tutorials
http://www.macinstruct.com/tutorials/index.html

File Management
http://facweb.furman.edu/~pecoy/mfl195/tutorial/

EDTECH 202 student resources site
http://education.boisestate.edu/teki

5. Other Suggestions for Facilitating
Every Student in an Online Course

There are so many elements to consider when addressing the needs of online students. Technology skills are only one area. Below are some additional considerations for facilitating the needs of all students in online courses.

Access

Be aware that the range of access to the Internet will vary widely among your students. Access includes speed of network connection, available network connections at home verses work, and disability issues. Course design must take these access issues into account.

Design the course to take into account the slowest network connection available to your students. In most cases, this may be as slow as a 28.8 modem.
If you use video content or some other form of high bandwidth content, provide alternative versions of the information for students to use and possibly even provide the content on a CDROM that can be distributed among the students. Also, limit the use of graphics or provide a low bandwidth version of your course webpages.
Finally, suggest other possible locations where students can try to gain access, such as local libraries and computer labs on campus.

Learning Traits

Learning traits of students play a key role in how well they perform in an online course. Online courses require different skills from students than do traditional face-to-face courses. Be aware of these differences and structure your courses to facilitate students who don't necessarily present the the traits of an "ideal" online student. To learn more about traits of successful online students, see the e-Learning: Is it for You? presentation.

Time Management Skills

structure a course to minimize the necessity of advanced time-management skills among students

Lesson Length

Make the chunks or pieces of information small enough to appeal to and be processed by those who have only 15 to 30 minutes a day to log in. These small pieces of information can quickly be processed by the student who can then return later to finish other assignments. There can be more than one chunk of information per unit or module, but the unit itself should be broke into manageable chunks.
Create Printer-Friendly pages when possible
Include time information in your syllabus
Make suggestions on the best way for students to schedule their time for your course

Discipline and Motivation

Provide incentives and reward and encourage students when appropriate
Make your presence known - provide prompt responses both individually and in discussion forums

Collaboration and Community Building

Encourage peer-to-peer collaboration by identifying those with advanced skills who can help others
Use the group feature in Blackboard to promote cohesiveness in your classroom

Resources

Penn State Distance Education Resources
http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/pub/home/de/index.shtml

The New York Times: Technology Cybertimes
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/10/cyber/education/06education.html#1

Illinois Online Network
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/IONresources/onlineLearning/index.asp

Terra Community College: How to Succeed in Distance Learning Courses https://www.terra.edu/academics/distanceguidelines.asp

What Every Student Should Know About Online Learning: http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw99/papers/reid/paper.html

Michigan Virtual University
http://ts.mivu.org/