Online Orientation is an important aspect of online education. The Student Online Learner Orientation Support (SOLOS) is an online orientation program that effectively supports new and returning students. One common challenge of colleges is to provide an effective online orientation, we think we did it. Join our presentation and learn!
One common challenge that colleges face in different parts of the country is to provide effective online orientation before the start of the Academic Year and deliver a constant, consistent 24/7 support system that can be utilized not only before or during the start of classes but also after the orientation period has ended. The Student Online Learner Orientation Support (SOLOS) implemented by Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC,) a small college tribal college in Northern Minnesota, started to provide this much-needed orientation support online during COVID 19. SOLOS has currently received more than 7,000 website visits, and students are thankful for the benefits they receive when utilizing SOLOS. SOLOS is an OER and currently is available at: https://lltc.instructure.com/courses/923/pages/solos-presentation-olc-accelerate-2022.
Considering that our student population is 89% American Indian Students with 37% being older than 30 years old and 38% not having a computer at home. SOLOS became an influential support tool for our student population at LLTC.
There are eight-engagement tools in SOLOS.
1. The Registration Tool in the online program permits LLTC to learn demographic information about a student, their computer skills, and their access to technology.
2. This session tool in SOLOS is titled, “Am I Ready?” as a rhetorical question. The student finds instructions on how to open a student account at the college, (e.g. the engagement systems the student will use, the preparation in relation to computer skills, and access to technology). Other aspects include student accessibility, online preparation for online courses, different modalities of online courses (including a Learning Management System and Video Conferencing), Netiquette, Information about the Library and Bookstore, School Calendar and Schedule, Access to an electronic directory where a student can place direct calls, and other basic information about the college.
3. The session tool in SOLOS provides information on how a student can use the Student Portal, to obtain the Student’s Grades and Attendance Reports.
4. The tool provides information and tutorials about Canvas, our Learning Management System.
5. The session tool provides information about our Video Conferencing System, Zoom, tutorials, and readings about attendance and participation.
6. The session tool provides information about Discussion Boards, with suggessessiontions about how to effectively use comments and points of view on a discussion board.
7. The session tool provides information on Students-related Policies and Procedures. Since the document contains several pages, in this tool we included page numbers about different aspects of the college policies and procedures.
8. The final session of SOLOS is a quick, fillable form where the students document their completion of the online orientation program and complete a Satisfactory Survey about the online orientation program.
In this session, we will review evidence that supports how SOLOS was used highly effectively during COVID 19. Notably, students reported favorable general comments about their use of SOLOS, and since Fall 2021, we added a short satisfactory survey providing helpful feedback about this online orientation program which we will review during the session. One of the most important aspects of SOLOS is that the program is not only used before or at the beginning of the semester, but also during the semester because the support tools are available 24/7 during the school year.
The main purpose of the workshop is to provide attendees with innovative ideas on how to structure and implement an online orientation program. Session learning outcomes include: During this session, participants will be guided through a series of interactive activities that will afford them the opportunities to review and reflect on the organization of orientation content and structure, access to electronic directories, information, tutorials, guidance, and support focused on the students and their needs, among other content areas. The presenter will guide participants through strategies for translating the activity into their own local contexts. Attendees will also have an opportunity to dialogue around their own local challenges and discuss ways in which a tool like SOLOS could be used as a solution to meet local student and infrastructure needs. Attendees will leave this session with tools that will help them in the process of creating innovative ideas about online orientation programs.