Just because you can, doesn't mean you should
Online education is here to stay. But, we are finding out that it is not always the best option. The article below describes much of what we are seeing at Rosedale Technical College lately, with our younger students. The story may surprise you, and it may make you doubt the new conventional wisdom.
New students in our Associates Degree in Specialized Technology programs typically start with a slate of foundational courses designed to prepare them to be successful learners, both in college and in the work world. Topics like creative thinking and problem solving, theory of electricity, basic physics, written and oral communication, and applied math are covered in thier first term. These foundational competencies are critical to their success across any of the skilled trades careers for which we train. Can they be taught online? Of course! Should they? Maybe, maybe not.
Over the past couple of years, our instructors have noticed some disturbing trends. Even though our new students are more than ever coming from a background of academic success, the math knowledge, communication skills and resiliency of students enrolled at Rosedale Tech right out of high school are not what they were pre-Covid. Check out some statistics: 15 years ago, approximately 80% of our 18-19 year old students had attended a "vo-tech" career-focused high school, but now that has flipped 180 degrees. Approximately 85% of our youngest students these days are coming from traditional academic-focused high schools. In the same time frame, our student demographics have gone from about 80% from Pell Grant-eligible lower income households to only about 40% lately.
Despite these demographic shifts, our students seem less prepared for our math class than before. They seem less ready to practice public speaking. One instructor told me, "Dennis, they lack courage."
What happened? We believe that the Covid-era of K-12 education has left our students lacking in some basics.
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Conventional wisdom says that classes like math can be easily taught online. After all, you don't really need class discussion to learn algebra! But it's about more than the content. Many learners benefit greatly from being required to be in a certain room at a certain time focused on a certain topic. Am I the only one who tends to zone out on virtual calls after a while? How many of us are so completely self motivated that we are able to independently concentrate, without prodding, to learn a subject as intangible as math? And, developing communication skills online is also quite different than in person. Whether in video or via text, we've all experienced how different it can be to disagree with someone online versus face-to-face. My colleagues and I have to come to believe that the Covid-era K-12 distance education has directly contributed to the changes we've seen in our younger students.
The good news is that we have had tremendous success in tackling this challenge. At Rosedale, we love to run our classes live and in person. We have the ability to use distance education, and in certain circumstances it does greatly benefit our students. We use the remote learning only when and where it makes sense. But on a day to day basis, we are here together, in the same room, at the same time. And it usually works much better. Even for math class! Our overall graduation and job placement rates are consistently among the leaders for 2 year colleges.
Our instructors have caught on to the trends. They are adapting how they run their classes and how they interact with students. We try to personalize the experience and meet each student where they need us to be. It's more work for faculty and staff, but it's worth it. Strategies like breaking into small groups, facilitating peer-to-peer learning, making time for individual tutoring, and using relevant examples seem to work well. Also, breaking down communication barriers by being more open, candid and transparent with our students results in more engagement, more courage and having more fun.
If you're curious to find out more, come see. We will be here, in-person!
People tend to rise or fall to the level of expectations put upon them. We expect a lot of ourselves, and we expect a lot of our students. And that won't change.