Sept. 8, 2004

University Provides a Guide to Life Online

By Greg Licamele

As freshmen moved into residence halls, they were presented with a book from the University designed to help them manage their time and navigate cyberspace more effectively to meet their academic goals online.

The book, E-Learning Companion: A Student’s Guide to Online Success, was authored by Ryan Watkins and Michael Corry, assistant professors of educational technology in GW’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD), and distributed to the incoming class of about 2,600 students.

“We decided to write the book because there were no books in the field dedicated to helping students succeed in online learning,” Corry said. “Some books were available to assist instructors in developing online courses, but nothing for students. Since both Dr. Watkins and I have been teaching online for many years, we have first-hand knowledge of what skills students need to succeed.”

Throughout the book, time management skills are introduced and reinforced for readers, an element that is critical for freshmen as they transition from high school.

“Although the use of technology is now pervasive in high schools and middle schools, our students come from a variety of backgrounds and possess a spectrum of skill sets,” said Fred Siegel, associate vice president and dean of freshmen. “We wanted every freshman to have a reference guide such that they can all have the individual opportunity to optimize their use of technology and broaden their skills.”

Beyond a general scope of online skills, the book targets students who might take classes online. Corry said time management skills are particularly important for these students because there is no structured meeting time.

“We have found that students who don’t meet face-to-face regularly need to be more self-motivated and good time managers,” Corry said,

To aid GW students in their new technology environment, Corry also developed a Web site www.gwu.edu/~techor/ that takes students through an animated tour of important GW resources such as the home page, myGW, Campus Advisories, Blackboard and other academic and student life sites.

“Time management is clearly the No. 1 theme in the transition from high school to college,” Siegel said. “I have spoken to the Class of 2008 about time management at CI, in my welcoming letter and at Freshman Convocation. E-Learning seems to me a perfect reminder of the theme, while providing hands-on tools. Obviously, a student at GW cannot be fully successful without a basic knowledge and comfort level with our technology environment.”

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu