introduction
Success secret number one for a successful online learning program, according to Jeffrey Feldberg, chairman and CEO of Embanet Corp. and who has launched several successful online programs, is “live technical support” (Feldberg, 2001, p. 1). Many student support services, like technical support, are critical to the successful learning experience of all students, but especially for students who are engaged in online learning at a distance. One director of student support services for an online learning program said it this way: “If they’re having trouble with the technology, it’s like showing up at class and the door’s locked and they can’t get in” (Kelly, 2001, p.5). And, just as trouble with technology may keep the class door locked for one student, so can any other unmet student need for another student.
Like campus students, students at a distance or online expect high-quality, effective student support services to help them achieve their academic goals. Even though the student should be the number one concern, student support services are often not considered when distance-education programs are discussed, designed and developed (Moore, 2000). Tony Bates agrees and identifies the “incorporation of] student services” as one of the 12 important lessons for distance education administrators to learn. He also makes the point that, “If your distance-education program is part of a university-wide plan for learning, then you will likely find that it is equally attractive to both traditional and distance students” (Bates, 2003, p. 1), thereby expanding the reach and role of student support services.
meeting student needs
Traditional student-support services for distance-education and online students may not be enough. As one dean of continuing education and distance learning noted: “I think we need to … admit that a good distance-learning program may have to deliver more services to the student than the traditional program, particularly in the administrative/student services area” (Bothel, 2001, para. 3). Moore (2000, p.1) suggests that support services for learners “should include at least the following elements: pre-enrollment activities such as recruiting and orientation, admissions and registration support, academic advising, financial planning and management, access to library and bookstore resources, personal and career counseling, degree and transcript services, and technical support.” At one institution, approximately one-fourth of the surveyed students “reported interest in various types of social function services such as … a student newspaper, academic clubs, … and access to an online psychologist” (LaPadula, 2003, p. 127). In short, the most appropriate student services are those the students at a particular institution need most. “Knowing student needs is essential to an effective student services program” (Ambler, 1989, p. 255).
After identifying what student services students would most like, program administrators must then differentiate among essential student services and those that would be “nice.” The balancing of institutional resources with student needs and wants will determine how many of the nice-but-not-so-necessary student services are made available. However, accommodating the disabled is one of those student-support services that should always be considered necessary and not just “nice” – for both moral and legal reasons.
the organizational fit
Not only does the online or distant learner need “more services” – or at least a different configuration of services – the online program administrators also depend on better services to complement their marketing efforts to not only current but also prospective students. It is a well-documented fact that the marketing costs to retain one student are significantly less than those costs to recruit one new student. Knowing and attending to students’ needs will inform marketing strategies (Malan, Rigby & Glines, 1991). And once students’ needs are identified and fitting support services are mapped to these needs, both the enrolled as well as the prospective students should be informed of their availability. One study found that many students are not aware of the services available to them. Marketing excellent student services can not only help retain current students in the program but also attract new students to it (Cain, Marrara, Pitre & Armour, 2003).
Excellent student service is sometimes the only distinguishing characteristic of two comparable online or distance education programs. The best course content and faculty coupled with the best marketing efforts cannot compensate for deficient or even mediocre student support services. Students served well serve the program well by telling their friends; students disappointed in the services of a program can easily and quickly hurt a program by discouraging other students from enrolling. The programs with the best student support services will not only retain current students but also attract new ones.
While competent and inspiring online instructors with well-designed content are frequently associated with program success, student support services cannot be ignored. Some theorists have linked student satisfaction with the academic support services to educational outcomes (Cain & Lockee, 2002).A distance education program that recruits outstanding faculty and develops exceptional courses may no longer be enough for students if support services are lacking, especially as more and more educational providers compete for online and distant learners. All three dimensions of the online or distance learning experience – that is, faculty, instruction and support services – are vital to the success of the whole academic experience. Furthermore, well-designed courses and properly trained online instructors will mitigate the demand on support services just as a well-staffed and -trained student support department will influence student perception of course quality and instructor effectiveness.
program retention and course completion
An important characteristic of a successful distance education program is high rates of course completion and student retention at the program level. Effective student services not only meet students’ needs but can also contribute to both student retention and course completion. While “effective student services are student-centered and value added, superb student services not only … meet the student needs, but also go the extra mile to help them become successful. Student-focused services create a positive experience, which may lead to higher retention” (Burnett & Oblinger, 2003, p.28). The literature on the role of student services in the online learning process, though not abundant (Cain & Lockee, 2002), does yield significant findings, particularly in the areas of course completion and program retention rates.
Mary Hricko of Kent State University identifies seven support services to assist students in completing their courses of study:
1) Provide students an orientation to the course.
2) Allow students to engage in a formative assessment throughout the course.
3) Educate students that the technology and content of the course are two different elements of the course.
4) Bring campus life to the class.
5) Be innovative, and establish an online learning community.
6) Be available.
7) Partner students with study buddies (2003).
Another researcher, Kasworm (2002), lists 10 support service strategies for improving student retention:
1) Provide initial entry advisement, orientation and career counseling.
2) Offer financial assistance or financial counseling.
3) Provide academic and basic skill development opportunities.
4) Establish policies and procedures oriented to adult learners.
5) Use information technology (e.g., listservs, online forums) to build community.
6) Establish programs that incorporate family and spouse support.
7) Increase opportunities for personal interaction with and attention from faculty.
8) Provide assistance in finding special-needs services, such as housing, transportation, and so forth.
9) Establish adult support networks.
10) Get to know and treat students as individuals.
standards and accreditation
Not only have researchers and practitioners identified critical support services for the online and distant learner but so have organizations with oversight responsibility – regional, state and technical or professional accrediting bodies. Many of these organizations have adopted standards, benchmarks or best practices for student service and support within the past 3 years. For example, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHER) announced 32 distance education standards in August 2000 – those relating to student services are listed under the third major competency standard entitled, “Responsiveness to Students.” An example of one of these standards is, “The institution has clear procedures for addressing student grievances.”
This same standard of addressing grievances is listed under the major category “Student Services” in the document “Guidelines for Distance Education” prepared by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Another institutional expectation identified by WICHE is that “students … possess the knowledge and equipment necessary to use the technology employed in the programs and provide aid to students who are experiencing difficulty using the required technology” (Oblinger, Barone & Hawkins, 2001, p. 34).
The Institute for Higher Education released in April 2000 its “Benchmarks for success in Internet-based distance education,” with seven major categories identified, including one called “Student Support Benchmarks.” The institute defined two important student support benchmarks at a degree of specificity not used by CHER and WICHE:
• “Students receive information about programs, including admission requirements, tuition and fees, books and supplies, technical and proctoring requirements, and student support services.
• “Students are provided with hands-on training and information to aid them in securing material through electronic databases, interlibrary loans, government archives, news services, and other sources” (Oblinger, Barone & Hawkins, 2001, p. 40).
Finally, the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries (ACRL) announced in Fall 2000 its distance education guidelines for libraries. An ACRL document states: “Access to adequate library services and resources is essential for the attainment of superior academic skills in post-secondary education, regardless of where students, faculty and programs are located. Members of the distance learning community are entitled to library services and resources equivalent to those provided for students and faculty in traditional campus settings” (para. 1). In many ways, these standards, benchmarks and best practices are defining what student support services are for online and distant learners.
emerging models
As distance education and online providers and the number of students enrolled in online and distance learning programs increase, the existing student support infrastructures for many programs will be stretched. For online learning to scale, student support service areas will need to reinvent themselves. Several student service models are beginning to emerge in response to the demand for improved student service support at a time when institutional resources are scarce. Student support services of the future must be available anytime and anywhere to support anytime and anywhere learning (Smith, 2001).
Student support service administrators from Washington State University have identified two support service models that can help meet this demand:
• “Moving to a convenient – any time/any place de -livery modality – which implies an asynchronous system, part of which is probably a self-service model, [and]
• “One-stop shopping, which means our student service staffs will have to be trained across functions and able to address at least the first 5 or 8 questions about every element of our programs” (Moore, 2000, p. 8).
Self-Service
Self-service functionality allows students to complete many common transactions anytime from anywhere. In the self-service model, students can access their updated academic plan, check on their financial aid, register and pay for their courses, request tests and order transcripts, and find answers to process or policy questions at will and convenience. This model, analogous to “paying at the pump,” allows students to complete transactions at a time convenient for them and frees up student services staff to focus on value-added services. The self-service model can be implemented in complement with or as a component of other models.
Knowledge bases fit well into a self-service paradigm. Once built, students and staff can quickly and easily find answers to questions previously answered and placed online. The University of Houston recently implemented a knowledge base, AskShasta, which has reportedly cut down the number of student service calls by as much as 25% (Roberts, 2004).
one-stop services
Portals are personalized and customized Web pages that anticipate in one stop or in one place most of the service needs of the student. These portals are not limited to the students, either, as they also customize to the roles and interests of faculty or student services staff (Burnett & Oblinger, 2003). For example, a student just admitted to an online program will be presented information suited to the new student still in need of orientation, as opposed to the experienced student preparing for graduation.
In addition to many services being readily available with the help of “high-tech” portals and knowledge bases, the “high touch” of staff members communicating with students by phone, e-mail or chat will remain a critical element of a student support service strategy.
A well-trained staff can address student needs in one stop or one call. They solve the problems and remove the obstacles that keep the student from having the best possible learning experience. The chief student services officer should be concerned with the staff’s effectiveness, morale, training and welfare (Ambler, 1989).All efforts to help and to train the student services staff will benefit students as they receive more caring, knowledgeable help (Dalton, 1989). “Immersion” (intense and simulated) training for staff employees is a good way to sensitize them to the student experience and identify potential problems in the service (Burnett & Oblinger, 2003).
The more student services staff is cross trained and the more individualized and robust are portals and knowledge bases, the more direct and successful the student support.
conclusion
Student support services are a critical component of any successful online and distance education program. Student service standards, benchmarks and best practices are emerging that help institutions plan and redefine their programs and measure their effectiveness in meeting expectations of administrators, faculty and, especially, students. These support services focus on essential student needs and help meet them by providing an appropriate mix of self-serve and staff-serve services. The opportunity for providing better and more efficient student support services has never been better, as technology enables personalized student support services to complement online courses and instructors. Student support services can help students reach their academic goals, remove obstacles to learning, improve student completion and retention rates, and help ensure program success.
key terms
Accreditation: The process of certifying whether a program meets the standards and expectations of any association to which it belongs.
Completion Rate: The most common measure for success in an online or distance learning course, frequently associated with program persistence and retention rates. No standardized algorithm currently exists for calculating completion rates; they are best used in comparing one cohort of the same course with another.
Immersion Training: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro provides a one-day “immersion” as a part of their staff training. The staff trainee works in a student-simulated environment to better experience their program services from the student perspective.
One-Stop: The one-stop model allows students the convenience of talking with one person at one location to find all the services and answers needed. Staff who work at one-stop call, e-mail or chat centers have a very broad knowledge of the services and are able to address a high percentage of student questions and service requests.
Portal: A Web-based environment customized to provide users’ information needs. In contrast to the typical Web page, where a large amount of information is available to all, portals provide information specific to the user’s need and role. The user is able to customize what information is revealed and what is hidden.
Self-Service: Online students register, request and pay for services, receive basic academic advising, and so forth, without accessing student support personnel. Under this model, students are no longer bound by the office hours of the provider. They can individually access their services anytime from anywhere.
Student Support Services: Student services are all the services provided by the distance education’s provider to the students (prospective and matriculated) to facilitate their success at the learning institution.
