How Purdue University Northwest (PNW) academic advisors for online RN to BSN students, incorporated Blackboard Learning System and multiple technology to provide a virtual academic advising to students. The intention is to increase student satisfaction and retention and ease of accessing resources.
Academic advising is one of the key components in higher education and researchers generally agree that academic advising refers to intentional interactions between students and advising staff (National Academic Advising Association [NACADA], 2006). With the dramatic growth in online enrollment, there is still an increase rate of dropouts resulting from feelings of isolation which in part is caused by lack of interaction within the academic online environment. We strive to keep our online learners engaged with campus events and afford them the opportunity to engage with their fellow learners for support, mentoring, and friendship.
Purdue University Northwest's (PNW) online RN-BSN program has created a means to assist students with interacting within the academic environment. The use of innovative non-academic Blackboard sites were utilized in creating an environment where online students have access to their advisors for one-on-one advising session as well as a welcome from the Dean, the director of the program, their academic advisors, and faculty and staff they will be encountering throughout the program. Learners have an opportunity to view welcome videos by key faculty where an overview of the course they teach within the program is given. Academic advisors provide an overview of what advising entails and their advising schedules to ward of general questions by learners. Staff also provides short introductory videos so learners are aware of who the key players are within their academic success. By doing welcoming videos we are providing a face behind the name which decreases learner isolation.
Groups have been created where learners can go and find fellow learners that are going through the same issues as they are. Whether it be support about juggling work, family, and school or simply gaining another perspective about a concept, the groups are there to assist in forming bonds.
The advising sites utilize technology so learners have the opportunity to join general advising sessions held by the academic advisors. Learners may also schedule one-on-one advising sessions with their advisors if needed. Learners feel a sense of belonging to the university when in fact they may never set foot on university soil. Advisors have the ability to send reminders through a remind application so learners are aware of upcoming deadlines such as registration dates, payment dates, or withdrawal dates.
Learners are able to join a community of their peers through Wikis offered within the site. The university was charged with findings ways to be innovative and we feel by incorporating Wikis to facilitate communication is one way we meet this challnege. Wiki pages are dynamic and allow learners to add to others comments. Wikis will allow us to expand beyond the constraints and boundaries of the online classroom in ways to let learners collaborate with other learners, experts, and other members within the university. Wiki skills will help prepare learners with cognitive skills, writing and constructive editing skills, web skills, team or group skills, openness, integrity, and organizational skills.
VoiceThreads is another way for us to be innovative and impact learner satisfaction. Learners will be able to link to their own VoiceThread introduction as well access VoiceThread recordings that might help them in their studies.
Within the academic advising site, students will have easy access to policies and procedures to assist them in answering their questions quicker. Tutorials are provided on APA basics as many of our students have not attended school in a good number of years. There are tutorials on statistics as well as links for study habits.
A mentoring component is integrated within the site.
The non-academic Blackboard sites are an evolving ‘live’ environment that gives students the ability to feel ‘connected’ to the university despite living miles away. As we move further into the future, we are certain student retention and satisfaction will increase with the use of these sites. This is a project in the beginning stages and data collected regarding student satisfaction/retention is in its infancy. Plans to obtain data at the 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year mark on student’s perception of the sites will be gathered. We will be prepared to present 3 month data at convention time. Publication of results will further research in effective practice in online academic advising as well as creating a cohesion between brick and mortar and online.
The scope of this project lies within enhancing or accelerating online learner’s outcomes, retention, and satisfaction. The goal is for learner’s to feel less isolated and be able to have the same opportunities as traditional students do.
Audience will be engaged by dividing them into groups and providing them with tablet access to see how user friendly the sites are for students as well as give them a chance to see how each section was designed and developed. The audience will be encouraged to actively participate in a Wiki session, a mock advising session, viewing tutorials, as well as all other aspects of the site. We will be asking the audience for feedback based on their experience using the site with the goal to incorporate aspects to make the site better.
Session outcomes
- Audience will be able to use what they learn to go back to their institutions and replicate academic advising sites.
- The audience will be able to apply the innovative technology to help with student success and retention within an academic advising site as well as learn how to dcrease online learners sense of isolation.
- The impact of learning about the creation of online academic advising sites will increase other organizations to incorporate sites that will ultimately lead to a better learner outcome.
- Show how innovation impacts student success.