OSCQR – Standard #6

Course provides access to learner success resources (technical help, orientation, tutoring).

Review These Explanations

As more online services are available on-demand (24/7), online learners turn to campus services with high expectations. Easy access to technical help, orientation features, and tutoring services will limit frustration, and enable learners to find and access the help they need, when they need it.

In many cases, links to campus and Open SUNY technical help will be included on the LMS home page, with instructions on how to access IT departments via phone, email, or ticketing system. As many learners bypass the home page, it is important to include this information within the course information documents, or within specific project pages that may require direct technical assistance.

Providing direct links to tutoring services within the course information documents as well as individual assignments will make it easier for learners to access these resources. When including links to tutoring or orientation resources, provide an instructor perspective for your learners on the benefits of using these services to further their learning goals and succeed in the course and/or program.

The Open SUNY network is a collaborative community, with a plethora of resources. Connecting learners to these resources at the course level will open opportunities to explore available services, and more fully utilize those services to their benefit.

Refresh Your Course with These Ideas

On many Open SUNY Campuses, a course page is available to be copied and inserted into each online course with links to administrative, academic, and technical resources available to the learner. The content and links on this page is typically maintained by campus staff to ensure that it is up to date and easily accessible.

At the course level:

Create a short screencast video overview of where to locate and how to access IT resources, and include it in the course information document area.
Include links to online tutoring services in every assignment and/or course project.
Ask the tutoring service and/or center to provide you with a video orientation that you can share in your course information documents or assignment area.
Invite an IT Helpdesk staff member to a virtual class meeting to give an orientation and overview of services to your learners.
Invite the tutoring service and/or center staff member to a virtual class meeting to give an orientation and overview of services to your learners.
Set up and post a recurring announcement that highlights the technical, orientation, and tutoring services provided, and time it along with assignments that may require assistance.
Provide explicit details on how to contact appropriate services within any assignment or activity where learners would benefit from tutoring or IT help.

Explore More Refreshing Ideas from the Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR) at the University of Central Florida (UCF)

This Pedagogical Practice from TOPR explores the purpose and benefits of using screencasting tools. Explore the possibilities of using these tools to connect learners to services and help centers.

Use Screencasts to Provide Learners Tutorials or to Explain Harder to Grasp Concepts

Screencasting refers to as a digitally recorded playback of computer screen output which often contains audio narration (Udell, 2005). Faculty choose to use them to record portions of lectures to provide overview, describe procedures, present concepts, focus attention and elaborate content. (Read more …)

Explore Related Resources

Burns, S., Cunningham, J., & Foran-Mulcahy, K. (2014). Asynchronous Online Instruction: Creative Collaboration for Virtual Student Support. CEA Critic, 76(1), 114-131.

Carnevale, D. (2007). Late-Night Stress on the IT Help Desk. Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(11), A29.

Share What You Know

OSCQR has been developed by a community of online practitioners interested in quality course design. There are numerous opportunities for community members to offer suggestions, donate resources, and help with future development.

Discuss this standard in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

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