There are a few factors that have an influence on good student management in any teaching environment, they include:
- Meticulous record keeping
- Student progress monitoring
- Identification of problem areas
- Student engagement
- Student retention
- Feedback
- Personalisation
In a traditional learning environment, this process was always a matter of manual administration and record keeping by the individual educators. The student’s progress and the management thereof was thus largely dependent on the thoroughness of the educator. How the institution then dealt with this record keeping was a matter of management. The students record over the period of their study was then a series of individual records, pieced together to form a picture of the student.
With the advent of technology, many of these systems are now a matter of capturing onto a computer system and records are kept electronically. The student’s educational progression and the learning relationship is still to a great extent in the hands of the individual educators.
How Online Learning broadens learning relationships
Using an LMS to consolidate student and course information as well as monitor progress by the use of diagnostic assessments within courses, not only allows for more efficient record keeping but also encourages a more pro-active approach to student management.
The use of short self-marking quizzes for example, acting as inter-modular assessments of knowledge retained on individual topics, can instantly highlight areas of concern. The educator’s time is now better spent on individual assessments and corrective measures rather than the administration of a grading process.
Corrective measures ranging from the uploading of additional information, up to the altering of content of modules, is real time and instantaneous. The educator remains an important link in the students education, but technology has allowed the role to shift and with that the learning relationship.
Student management can also become the task of more than one individual. The student’s information is available to those with the required access rights. This becomes particularly useful where an individual is suddenly unable to continue educating a group of students. The student management system has become the hub of information instead of individual persons.
Communicating with the student becomes an important part of the educator’s engagement in the learning process. The use of Discussions within courses also encourages a dialogue, and inte
ractivity with other individuals.
There is no doubt, technology has changed the face of education and the roles within it.
For learners, education is a social activity and not a technology activity. Technology should support the learning process without being the only learning tool.
Have a look at some of our Learning-on-Demand Workshops related to e-Learning!
Best Practise for eLearning Development
Introduction to e-Learning
