Learner Agency

Strategies Used with Students to support Learner Agency in the Online Classroom

• Adjusting Pace Plan

The Learning Management System my organization currently utilizes is Canvas. Within Canvas, the course instructor can set individualized Pace Plans for students. During the initial course set up, the course instructor determines the best way to spread out the assignments over the duration of the course. The instructor can choose to have assignments due in clumps or can have one assignment due at a time. In addition, they can choose how many days are needed between the deadlines. As students enter the course over a period of 6 weeks with the use of an algorithm, the assignments are evenly distributed over the duration of the time within the course. Although the Pace Plan can be adjusted at any point in the semester, my organization set a policy to only allow one Pace Plan adjustment per semester and no later than 6 weeks before the course closes.

The policy in place encourages students to make progress and participate regularly within their course while also providing a second chance when students fall behind for whatever reason. When students take a number of courses at a time, I have found it is helpful for the student to look over their various Pace Plans to look for patterns such as all assignments for 3 courses are always due on Mondays. Gathering their input as to when would be optimal for their deadlines to be set provides the student a chance to express what works for their schedule as many have additional obligations such as family, work, and extra curricular. By having the student review their Pace Plans and communicate with their instructors, this shows the student that we care about their input and understand the complex nature of their lives.

• Providing Second Attempts to Work Towards Mastery

I have seen a recent trend in educators shifting toward wanting mastery over completion. While this is still not overly employed, I am encouraged that there is a shifting in this direction. So many instructors focus on seat time and pass/fail grading system, however with all of the tools available there is a great opportunity to encourage students to focus on attaining mastery and not just what they can learn in a set amount of time. In instances with the student advocating for their desire for another attempt to work towards mastery and their plan for completing additional steps in order to attain mastery, I often work with the student and their course instructor to determine a doable plan.

• Conducting One-on-One Meetings

While it is not always possible to meet one-on-one with students, there are situations in which one-on-one meetings can provide the most direct route to effective and efficient communication and problem solving. Within my role of working with a diverse group of students, I understand that some students enjoy this synchronous time to convey problems and work toward solutions. However, I have a number of students who suffer from anxiety and depression and asynchronous communication is their preferred choice and what makes them feel most comfortable. When students are agreeable to meet one-on-one, they often feel immediately better and more engaged because of the great grounds we can cover immediately without having to wait for emails to go back and forth and with being able to hear tone and have a better understanding of the situation.