Strategies for Mitigating Technological Issues
So, what's a teacher to do? The best intervention is “prevention” when it comes to mitigating technological issues. Three strategies for mitigation include 1) a strong orientation and onboarding process, 2) teaching training on how to support students in the online environment, and 3) a help desk support system that is easily accessible and available beyond the normal school day, if possible.
We will briefly discuss all three strategies and consider how these pillars can set students up for success in virtual programs, both for general and special student populations.
Orientation and Onboarding
Orientations for the virtual environment may be more intensive than on-site orientations at traditional schools. However, solid orientations can establish a strong start to the virtual school year by setting up students for success from day one. Absent of a strong orientation, students can experience tremendous frustration, feelings of helplessness, or lack of support. These feelings often lead to a decline in learner perseverance in both classwork and in the virtual program overall.
A master orientation plan should be developed by teachers and administrators so students are well prepared to attend a virtual school. For example, a checklist can help students know what programs to have on their computers before starting school. Having a few orientation days in which students can go through a systems check to make sure they have these programs will give families some time to get what they need. In addition, encourage students to have a backup plan. Can they go to a library in case their computer crashes? How about a family member or a friend's computer? A backup plan is like having a carpool option or form of public transportation in case a car breaks down.
Strong orientation and onboarding must include the following items in order to set students up for success on the first day of school and throughout the year.
- Introduce students to the learning management system
- Instruct students on how to navigate their classes in the system
- Instruct students on how to submit assignments, organize files and documents
- Inform students on how to contact their teachers and the help desk support system
- Complete a physical check for devices, Internet access, downloads, and plug-ins
- Offer and include other areas of support which students may need for a strong start
Teacher Training and Support
Teacher training and support are also pillars for mitigating issues with virtual programs, both at the start of and throughout the school year. Though teachers aren’t expected to offer help desk-type service to students and parents, as mentioned, they are often the first line of support for smaller issues related to their own virtual class. Teachers in traditional schools often spend the first few weeks of school establishing classroom norms and expectations, establishing routines and practices, and managing the physical space of a classroom, all of which help set students up for success. In a similar way, students must be explicitly taught the “space” of a virtual classroom, e.g., how to manage that space effectively, what the norms and expectations are for live meetings, communication methods, discussion board postings, pacing, and engagement expectations. Some technical issues can be resolved at the teacher level, such as navigation help, eBook assistance, submission and dropbox support, document formatting and file management, referrals to device loans, or even how to establish a hotspot. These are all examples of supports which should be clearly defined by the administration so that teachers know what issues to handle at their level, how to handle them, and which issues to refer to the helpdesk or other support resources.
Technical Support
Finally, mitigating issues for students in a virtual environment requires a strong technical help desk support. Having knowledgeable technical support staff who are able to work with students and parents to solve issues in a timely manner (preferably even beyond normal school hours) is vital to the success of a virtual program. This support system must be highly organized in order to direct help desk issues to the appropriate staff member, depending on type and urgency. Login and password issues, document issues, plug-in, and add-on app issues, learning objects not playing or functioning properly, are all sources of frustration for students and become barriers in the online environment. A robust help desk support system rounds out the pillars of onboarding and provides ongoing support for students and staff for more successful virtual programs.
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