Hook’em, Hold’em, & Help’em

Strategies to Attract and Motivate the Distance Learning Student

Andy Sawatzky

Terry Smith

Outline Objective: Why are you here? Overview: Who we are and what we do Hook’em: Objective – student motivation Hold’em: Objective - student concentration Help’em: Objective – student graduation

Open Forum – ideas and questions

T

A

• Leadership

• Teamwork

• Human Resource Management

• Financial Management

• Material Management

• Aerospace Doctrine

• Planning of Aerospace Operations

• Conduct of Aerospace Operations

• Effective Writing Skills

• Effective Presentations and Briefings

• Responding to Media Inquiries

• Chairing Meetings

Topic Areas

A

Let’s Hook’em…

Background

• “free”

• voluntary program

• self-paced

• competing demands for time

Strategies - appeal to two student aspects

• value

• interest

T

Communicate value

• Web page with all information we could possibly conceive to be of value to the students

• Comprehensive FAQ based on 5Ws

• Establishment of a learning path outlining all content and timings

The “Team Perspective” will change the way you think about teamwork and help ensure your team becomes a high performing team!

Ninety-six per cent of students find the web site “complete and informative”

Strategies A

A

A

A

Generate interest

• Module titles

Which sounds more interesting?

Introduction to Financial Resource Management

Show Me the Money!!

Your introduction to Financial Resource Management

Strategies A

Generate interest

• Promotional videos

Strategies

Link

A

If we build it they will come!

The best hook: Word of mouth

(But only if we build it right in the first place!)

• I like the more casual style in which the information was presented in this module.

• Alleviates the 'death-by-PowerPoint’ attitude I had before I started this course.

• Comprehensive, concise, logical, and informative.

• Presented in an easy to read, easy to understand format that made it very easy to learn.

• Good use of the DL technologies available - not just a page turner.

• Enjoyed the way the topic was presented.

• Ideas presented were well described and in a matter efficient for learning.

Strategies

Quality Content

A

Let’s Hold’em…

Background

• we’ve set expectations, now we have to meet them!

Strategies

• Simplicity and variety

T

Teaching – as opposed to telling!

Strategies

Explain in basic terms

• Focus on student understanding and retention

• Conversational tone

Migrate to critical thinking

• Testing strategy

• Follow on training“I am impressed with the quality of the tests. It is about time that pass marks for military courses were raised, the time limits not so generous, and the answers not verbatim quotes from the study material.”

T

Make it easy to learn!

Strategies

Control - That authority exercised by a commander over part of the activities of subordinate organizations, or other organizations not normally under their command, which encompasses the responsibility for implementing orders or directions. All or part of this authority may be transferred or delegated.

Command - The authority vested in an individual of the armed forces for the direction, coordination, and control of military forces.

Text may be prove difficult for students to read and extract the salient points. So we review source documentation and “figure it out” then…..

T

…. “Spell it out”!

T

Variety is the spice of life!

Balance between predictable and chaotic – “What’s next?”

• “Did you know”s

• Short stories

• “Multi-media tools

• Video hosts

• “documentaries”

• Podcasts

Strategies A

Strategies T

T

Strategies

20

T

“Fluff” - Rich use of multi-media

Strategies

link

A

Let’s Help’em…Background

• Students indicated they could “self-manage” their progress

• Trial conducted “hands off” to see how students would perform

• Result was a 50% completion rate (below our 80% target)

T

Strategies

• Provide clear guidance and expectations

• Management tools

• Augment learning opportunities

• Language of choice

• Formative evaluation with feedback

• Progress monitoring

• Encouragement

T

“Survival guide”

• communicates guidance and expectations

• basically a student handbook

• indicates activity before, during, and after

Strategies T

Online Checklist

• time management

• monitoring

• reminder

Strategies T

Strategies T

• Round numbers

• Rearrange columns

• Rearrange Rows

• Expose the information

• Eliminate unnecessary space and lines

• Employ effective headings and labeling

• Use a verbal summary

T

T

Language of Choice

• no separate serials (En/Fr)

• prevents segregated student audiences

• “any time” language option

• study in first and/or second official language (no risk)

Strategies T

T

Formative Evaluation

• formative evaluation (“test yourself”) within modules

• formative evaluation (Quiz) after series of modules

• feedback provided (explanation/answers to all questions)

• facilitators available to respond to remaining questions

Formative evaluation is another learning opportunity

Strategies T

“Howgozit” Emails

Used as progress reminders and to highlight program features

• students/direct supervisors

• customized content

• separate addressee

• above, on, or below “the line”

• standardized process

Strategies A

Percent of Graduates by month

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Month of Duration of Serial

Current

Goal

Trial

No Log in

1st QTR 2nd QTR 3rd QTR

Welcome

SuprReminder

Well done

Following in addition to

• Congratulatory emails (tests)

• general inquiries

• etc

A

Are these strategies helping us achieve our goals?

Performance benchmarks

• Hook’em: 80% recommendation rate

• Hold’em: 80% satisfaction rate

• Help’em: 80% completion rate

• Overall: 100 % annual throughput (300 pers/yr)

ConclusionA

Are these strategies helping us achieve our goals?

• Hook’em

• 86% state program met or exceeded expectations and 90% would recommend program to peers

• Hold’em

• 85% state the modules are intuitive and easy

• Help’em• 82% Graduation rate

• Overall – • Throughput at 120% of designed level with waiting list of

students to enroll

A

But…. Other things are going up too!

• Student expectations – rising

• Demand for student’s time – rising

We need to seek continuous improvement, so….

Any ideas, observations, questions?

The End!

A

End