Watch: Student Supports
Student Supports are different resources or activities that support the student throughout their learning experience. They can take a variety of forms including directing students to university support services, providing students with tools to track their learning progress, and creating activities to promote peer to peer community building and collaboration.
Some key students supports to include in your course are:
Weekly Checklists or Outlines
Checklists or outlines provide students with clear guidelines for completing each module or week, and support them in self-directing their learning. One of the challenges with online learning is motivation and engagement, and the outlines can make content appear more manageable and easy to follow.
Provide a weekly outline or checklist at the beginning of each course
Include all of the readings, activities, and any assignments.
Provide prompts such as READ, SUBMIT, or WATCH.
Make sure they are clear and easy to access
Icebreaker Activities & forums
Get students engaged with one another from the outset of the course. An icebreaker activity can support students' sense of community in the classroom and lays a foundation for peer to peer relationships and support.
Icebreakers can take the form of discussion forums, whiteboard tools, and zoom activities.
Add a Q & A forum for students to ask questions about the course to their peers and yourself.
We will be investigating potential icebreaker activities in the weeks to come.
Student Resources Section
Direct students to resources at the university and within your online class by creating a specific area for resources in each course.
The resources section can include links to library resources and support, the Moodle Guides, the writing centre and mentoring opportunities, as well as a list of the resources, handouts or assignments that will be used throughout the course.
In addition to the student resource section, add blocks that support your students. These blocks could include Library askway block and the calendar block if you have specific meetings scheduled.
These are some examples of potential student supports to include in your online course. Try adding them to your course.