Symposium 2017

Are you grappling with how to prepare your students for success in online and blended programs at your institution? This session will provide you with an exemplar for preparing students for success via a comprehensive online orientation. Come learn from this case study that describes the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of the online orientation modules for new students at Royal Roads University. You will engage in intense discussions about the role of interaction and student engagement. Many educators point out the importance of interaction in high quality online education. For instance, Garrison and Shale (1990) state that interaction is “education at its most fundamental form” (p. 1). In addition, Palloff and Pratt (1999) argue that the “keys to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions” (p. 5). However, students need to be prepared for online interactions that include both the application of technical skills as well as the development of cognitive and meta-cognitive skills. Online orientation programs can aide in the development of these skills which prepares new students for active learning and success in their studies.