Student enrollment in online courses continues to surge. A November 2018 report from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics found that the number of students who took at least one online course jumped 5.7 percent in one year.
More than eight in 10 students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) take at least one online or blended course, with a growing part of the student population taking all their courses online. Three years ago, to provide skilled support to and designated resources for online learners, the school launched its UCF Online Connect Center.
Helping online learners succeed
The Connect Center currently has seven prospective student specialists, six enrollment coaches, and 11 success coaches who work with more than 4,500 UCF Online students. “The goal of the Center is to develop a relationship with our online learners that provides them with a comprehensive overview or connection to the university through the use of success coaches,” says Jeff Jones, vice provost of UCF Connect and UCF Global.
Building relationships instead of simply facilitating transactions is a key component, he says. Typically, a success coach begins by finding out about the student, especially the reason they want to be in school. The coach records results with a customer relationship tool.
Coaches and students work together to set up a personalized communication schedule and then stay in touch throughout the semester by phone and email. Besides offering support, coaches will remind students of upcoming deadlines, such as next-semester enrollment dates. As the student progresses, the success coach becomes the single contact for the student to discuss any problems and, if need be, come up with solutions to manage those challenges.
The online support is open to transfer students who have earned at least 60 credit hours. “UCF is the largest transfer-receiving institution in the country,” says Jones, admitting about 7,000 students a year through its Direct Connect program and about another 4,000 transfers a year through other channels. “There are a lot of people doing online learning, but very few are specifically targeting their transfer population. We are and that sets us apart.”
In addition to transfer students who have an AA degree, online students are often working adults who were limited in their ability to continue their classroom education.
Becoming a success coach
Success coaches undergo intensive training before hooking up with students. In 2018, UCF added advanced coaching methodologies and built enhanced technologies to support online students. The college is also developing a coaching academy where people from other universities can come to UCF and get trained as coaches.
To improve the lives of online students, Jones offers these suggestions:
- Start with student feedback. Conduct some student surveys to ask students what they want and what works for them; that will result in a more focused strategy.
- Customize your coaching. Find out about the unique circumstances of each student so that success coaches can individualize and personalize their approach, instead of a rigid transactional method.
- Try something new. Don’t be afraid to walk away from traditional forms of student advising and come up with new ways to deal with student needs.
“Much of what we’re doing right now is a response to market demand. Students want the convenience, flexibility, and relative low-cost/high-value proposition that many of us are offering. To not get in this game or to do it as a hobby is very short-sighted,” says Jones.
Robert Lerose is a New York-based freelance writer. He received the APEX Grand Award and seven Awards For Publication Excellence for his journalism. He was the 2004 winner of the Great American Think-Off, a philosophy competition open to the public.
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