Teaching Students Enrolled in Fully Online Programs
The following information was developed in consultation with the Office of Online
and Adult Learning and the specific help of Dr. Amber Anderson. Special thanks also
go to Noelle Wilson and Amber Anderson.
As you know, Wichita State offers both fully online and "traditional" formats. But
did you know that students enrolled in fully online programs may represent a distinct
population? When you offer a course online, you are likely to have a mix of students,
some of whom are studying in more traditional programs and expect both on campus and
online interaction in their schedules, but others are likely to be fully online students
who may never come to campus. Before you embark on your online teaching journey,
it is important that you learn a bit about who WSU's fully online students are and
what they might expect.
Fully online students at WSU
- Approximately 77% are female. This compares to a national average of 57%.
- Approximately 72% are enrolled in undergraduate programs. This number is similar to
the national average.
- Average age is 32, which is the same as the national average.
- Approximately 13% of Wichita State's student body is comprised of fully online students.
The life of a student enrolled in an online program at WSU
Wichita State students enrolled in online programs are on-average 32 years old and
are often employed full-time while care taking for or raising a family as well as
actively engaging in their communities. Several programs have proven to be attractive
to online learners: Teacher Apprentice Program™ (TAP), Business (undergraduate and
graduate), Special Education, Dental Hygiene, RN to BSN, and LAS Degree Completion.
These programs are designed to be completed entirely online offering students the
flexibility to learn on their own schedule (within a specific timeframe). Courses
within an online program are likely asynchronous, allowing students to login independently
of a set time to participate with instructional materials.
Teaching online program and in-person program students together
Because online program students are accustomed asynchronous courses in their online
programs, you may find they resist attending optional or mandatory synchronous class
sessions, even if these sessions are offered online. This is a population of students
who is used to being able to "time shift" and make time for classwork at highly personalized
times. To account for this preference, professors may want to consider grouping fully
online students together, offering recordings of any synchronous content, and being
willing to offer synchronous content at unusual times such as Friday evenings or on
Saturdays if synchronous contact is necessary for your content field.
When building assignments for this population, expect that your fully online students
may respond especially well to applied work that allows them to bring in experience
and expertise from their careers and background raising a family. While most Wichita
State students are likely to have employment experience, and many students are raising
families, the fully online student population is perhaps even more likely to come
to your class with these backgrounds.
When Fully Online Students Need Help
Like with any student at Wichita State, if you find that a fully online student needs
academic help, you should consider submitting a Student Early Alert System (SEAS) report for them. If they appear to be having personal problems, a Care Team Report is also appropriate. Other resources for fully online students include:
