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September 1, 2002
Mentored Learning
By Doug Talbott
What exactly is "mentored-learning" anyway?
There are many different types of online education courses. They range from downloadable self-paced courses to real-time, instructor-led courses. And while most people can understand each end of this spectrum, it is in the middle ground where most of the confusion lies.
The middle ground is loosely called "mentored-learning." Today, over 66% of online educational institutions offer some form of mentored-learning. Unfortunately, not many know what it means. As used today, "Mentored-learning" can mean anything from sending a student a couple of Emails to diligently monitoring a student's progress twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. For the prospective student, trying to understand what you're getting is a formidable task. This article provides you with some questions that you can ask eLearning companies to help you understand what they mean by mentored-learning.
Ideally, mentored-learning should couple self-paced reading materials and practical assignments with several kinds of communications such as student-to-instructor Email, student-to-student Email, real-time classroom chat, and bulletin board discussion groups. This means that throughout the course students are performing any one of four operations: reading through the course materials; completing the assignments; working with other students; and being mentored by the instructor.
The key phrase "instructor-mentored" means students are being monitored and guided through these activities by a course instructor, course markers and/or visiting experts. It has three linked forms, which are:
- Email exchanges - Either instructors or students should be able to initiate Email exchanges. Success is measured by the speed of the response, which should be "inside 24" or less than 24 hours. Circumstances dictate that there could be some delays, but these should not exceed 48 hours. Some courses notify students of the times during the day when they can expect more immediate responses. Of course, students should expect to check their Email and to participate in course activities at regular intervals.
- Discussion groups - Discussion groups let students take leadership on specific topics of their experience or issues of importance to them in their studies. Instructors should be involved, should offer their comments, and should support and link users. The instructor should not just provide answers, but should also listen and promote student-based initiatives, ideas and models.
- Marking - Ideally assignments should be marked electronically, with comments linked inside the student materials themselves so readers see exactly where work can be improved, corrected and - most important - how this can be achieved. The comments should deal directly with the work at each stage and then link the stages together in summary comments, with a grade, at the conclusion of the assignment. That is the crux of mentored-learning.
So how do eLearning companies compare?
Good question. Not all eLearning companies are alike. So when it comes to your education, you'll want to make sure that you know what you're buying. Here is a checklist of some questions you might want to ask and things you might want to do:
Are there student testimonials?
Any reputable eLearning site will have a list of student testimonials on their courses. If they don't, don't take their courses. Often these student testimonials can be found on a separate testimonials page.
Does the company offer profiles of its instructors?
A reputable company should list instructors' names and bios for each course. There are two reasons: first, it helps you, the consumer, "shop" for a good course, and, second, it is important for instructors to take ownership and pride in the courses they mentor.
Am I able to contact the instructor before and during the course?
If you're really interested in a particular course and have some questions, try sending the company an Email with a request for the specific instructor to answer it. Then see how many hours, days, weeks, months, or years it takes them to respond.
What is the relationship between the listed course experts and the courses?
Again, any reputable eLearning site will outline who is associated with the company. They should also be able to tell you what role those people play in developing and reviewing course materials.
How much time do instructors spend marking the assignments?
A six-page assignment might require two hours, but obviously this number will vary greatly depending upon the quality of the assignment. Weak assignments can take three to four times longer to mark than an 'A' paper that is clear, concise and error-free. But it is this extended attention to detail and marking that makes the difference between good and bad mentoring. A thoroughly marked assignment, with links to the problem areas and their resolution can do more than other courses where the student just receives a grade and a comment like 'poorly expressed.' Instructors will often exchange Emails with students because marking comments generate additional discussion. And the subsequent revisions can produce a work well above anything the student has ever done before.
How many hours should instructors allocate to student support?
To be honest, the number of hours for student support can vary greatly. Some students might require extensive support - several Emails per day and lots of advice throughout the assignments. Others require less. The most intense time is at the start of the course when everything is new - the technology, the course content, instructor expectations, and even other class members' expectations. It is then that the instructor should determine the "tempo," i.e. determine how long things take to accomplish and how complete and thorough they have to be. Other surges occur in the days before assignment submissions and around any processes involving more than one classmate. Each new piece of software has its own demands and surprises. Scheduling resources to meet these expeditiously and with patience is probably the hardest task from the instructor's point of view. You might want to read the testimonials to see if they address these areas.
A possible benchmark is eight hours per student per course for personalized help, communications, marking and administration. That number can be increased, if necessary, but it should seldom fall below that average across the members of a class. The company should also encourage students to work together, sharing their materials and results, commenting and advising on work in progress, pointing out options and additional resources. It should also post these results to the entire class, noting who has helped and how. Such an open exchange will result in trust, good will and respect among classmates, and will provide a significant part of personal support and information in every class.
The bottom line is that a provider should not place any limit on the support that a student requests so those who need the extra guidance are able to receive the help they need.
How many people actually complete the course?
Depending upon which report you read, eLearning drop out rates range from 65% to 80%. For example, Forrester Research claims that eLearning suffers from student drop out rates as high as 80%. But it can be as low as between 15% and 20%. Part of the difference can be attributed to the differences in mentored-learning models and to the extent that instructors care about their students.
How many people get jobs after they graduate?
Like it or not, education today is about preparing students for jobs. So the mark of a good course would be its placement rate. But be aware that in some courses many students are already employed before they enroll, taking the courses to refresh or upgrade their skills. Thus no one can claim that this particular mentored-process did or did not get people jobs.
The Future of Learning
Online education is sometimes touted as the future of learning. If done properly, mentored-learning offers the right balance between self-paced courses and classroom-based courses. It offers students a personalized learning experience. It allows them to learn at their own speed, at their level and at their convenience. And it ensures that they have access to an experienced instructor who can guide them through the learning process. Mentored-learning can work, but you, the consumer, must know what to look for before signing up. The educational institutions that implement the best models of online education will reap the highest rewards both for themselves and for their students' careers.
Email: Doug Talbott is the vice president of eContent at Online Learning.
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