Who are Your Learners
Those taking IST courses may be traditional, college-aged students–ages eighteen to twenty-two–looking for the convenience of online education (possibly as a way to supplement their resident coursework). However, students may also be adult learners with multiple demands such as full-time employment, family obligations, volunteer work, and additional responsibilities. Therefore, keep in mind that you may instruct a wide range of students at various stages of their lives.
As an instructor, it is also good to keep in mind that the College of IST attracts students from all over the world. Thus, you will probably have students from different time zones, different cultural backgrounds, and different levels of language proficiency.
Some students, particularly our adult learners, may save their school assignments for the weekend. So be prepared to receive more student questions over the weekend.
With our subject matter, the College of IST also sees a fair amount of active or former military members who may have additional demands on their time. It is common for a student in the military to send an email to an instructor informing them they have just been deployed on a mission at a moment’s notice. We ask instructors to work with students in these kinds of situations.
Managing Student Expectations
- How, and how quickly, you will grade assignments;
- How often you will check, and respond to, course communications like email and discussion posts;
- How and when you will conduct office hours.
Various areas in your online course can help communicate this information to your students. The course syllabus should include your course grading rubric, as well as any specific grading policies that you follow. Weekly emails or regularly posted announcements using the announcements feature in Canvas can help you communicate with your students. Canvas should be updated regularly to keep your students informed about your virtual office hours, changes to your schedule, lesson expectations, and grading/communication turnaround time.
Student Feedback
The College of IST and Penn State are interested in what students think of their online educational experience. At the end of a course, Penn State uses the Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (or SRTE for short) to assess student experiences. More information on the SRTE can be found at: http://www.srte.psu.edu/.
Student Accessibility Information
Students with accessibility needs are asked to contact the Office of Disability Services for an assessment and for an accommodation letter, if applicable. If it is determined that a student should receive accommodations, they should share their accommodation letter with you as soon as possible. For more information about student disability and accessibility:
- Contact IST’s World Campus Disability Advisor, Terry Watson terrywatson@outreach.psu.edu
- World Campus Students with Disabilities page
- Penn State’s Office for Disability Services has put together some Student Disability Resources
- The Accessibility and Usability at Penn State website
Concerns About Students
On occasion, an individual student will approach you with special needs or questions, or you may observe behavior that indicates that they are in crisis. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you interact with your new students:
- Confidentiality – If a student formally requests confidentiality, that person’s roster entry appears to instructors flagged in red with asterisks and the word “confidential.” If you click the word “confidential,” you will link to the Registrar’s Web site, which contains official confidentiality documentation.
- Early Progress Reports – You will probably be asked to complete an early progress report for your students through Starfish. This helps advisors keep track of how their students are doing. If you have a student who is not doing well, you should fill out a Starfish flag. You can do it anytime during the semester, not just when the Early Progress email alert comes to you.
- Student Advising – You can also contact advising at wdadvising@outreach.psu.edu if you have concerns about a specific student.
- Troubled Students – If a student appears to be seriously troubled, but there is no urgency (no immediate danger to self or others), you may direct the student to CAPS at (814) 863-0395.
- Behavioral Threat Management – If the problem is serious and you believe the student may pose a danger to him/herself or others, call the university police (814-863-1111) or 911. PSU also has a Behavioral Threat Management Team that is specially oriented to deal with such issues: (814) 863-2868. You can find more information on the Behavioral Threat Management site.