How can you provide effective advising to online students?

1 Know your students

One of the first steps to effective advising is to know your students and their goals, needs, preferences, and backgrounds. Online students may have different motivations, expectations, and learning styles than traditional students, and they may face different barriers and opportunities. As an advisor, you should communicate regularly with your online students, using various methods and platforms, and ask them questions to understand their academic and personal situations. You should also review their academic records, progress reports, and feedback to monitor their performance and identify any issues or concerns.

2 Be accessible and responsive

Another key aspect of effective advising is to be accessible and responsive to your online students. Online students may feel isolated or disconnected from their instructors, peers, and advisors, and they may need more guidance and support than face-to-face students. As an advisor, you should establish clear and consistent communication channels and expectations with your online students, and respond to their inquiries and requests in a timely and respectful manner. You should also provide multiple ways for your online students to contact you, such as email, phone, video conferencing, chat, or social media, and offer flexible and convenient office hours and appointments.

3 Provide academic and career guidance

A major role of an advisor is to provide academic and career guidance to online students. Online students may have different academic and career goals than traditional students, and they may need more information and resources to plan their educational pathways and career transitions. As an advisor, you should help your online students explore their interests, skills, values, and aspirations, and advise them on the best courses, programs, and credentials that match their goals. You should also help them understand the policies, procedures, and requirements of their online programs, and assist them with registration, transfer, graduation, and accreditation processes.

4 Promote engagement and involvement

An important goal of advising is to promote engagement and involvement among online students. Online students may have less opportunities and incentives to interact with their instructors, peers, and advisors, and they may miss out on the benefits of campus life and community. As an advisor, you should encourage your online students to participate in online learning activities, such as discussions, group projects, webinars, and podcasts, and provide them with feedback and recognition for their contributions. You should also connect your online students with other online students, as well as with on-campus students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and inform them of the available online and offline services, events, and organizations that they can join.

5 Support personal and professional development

A final strategy for effective advising is to support personal and professional development of online students. Online students may have different personal and professional challenges and opportunities than traditional students, and they may need more support and guidance to balance their multiple roles and responsibilities. As an advisor, you should help your online students develop the skills, competencies, and habits that are essential for online learning, such as time management, self-motivation, self-regulation, and digital literacy. You should also help them access the online and offline resources and programs that can enhance their personal and professional growth, such as tutoring, counseling, mentoring, coaching, and networking.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?