Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Challenge Continues
March 30-April 1, 2003
Providing a "Realistic Course Preview" to Online Students
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By: Tom Brinthaupt |
Abstract
Attention to the accuracy and realism of student expectations may offer benefits to online students and instructors. I describe an approach designed to foster more realistic expectations among students. This "realistic course preview" (RCP), modeled after the "realistic job preview" concept in organizational psychology, provides current students with recommendations and information from past students. I provide an illustration of the RCP with an online Psychology of Personality course using WebCT.
Description
Instructors can easily adapt organizational psychology's realistic job preview concept to address the expectations of students for their online courses. I call this approach the "realistic course preview" or RCP. Following the arguments of Wanous (1980) in organizational settings, a realistic preview of a college course can provide students with balanced and unbiased (both positive and negative) information about what the course will be like.
There are at least four explanations for how or why RCPs might work. First, an RCP might lower students' inflated expectations and thus increase the likelihood that their expectations will be met during the term (met expectations). According to the coping explanation, RCPs can increase students' abilities to cope with the stresses of an online course through forewarning or "pre-rehearsal." Third, according to the honesty explanation, providing an RCP might lead students to perceive greater degrees of honesty from the instructor and freedom in their participation in the course, which could in turn lead them to be more tolerant of the negative aspects of the course (and more appreciative of its positive aspects). Finally, by providing accurate information about the course content and instructor's style, RCPs could increase the likelihood that students will match their own needs or goals to the online course (the self-selection explanation).
An Illustration of a Realistic Course Preview
For several semesters, I have used a version of the RCP for my online (Tennessee Regents Online Degree Program -- RODP) "Psychology of Personality" course using WebCT. I instruct students to read the RCP when they first begin the course. It consists of a list of comments from former students about their experience in my course and with me. As an extra-credit option at the end of the term, I invite students to complete the following question:
- Suppose two naive students approached you and told you that they were thinking of taking this RODP course with this RODP instructor. Your task is to give these people a realistic preview of what they can expect (in order for them to be better prepared for the course). As a graduate of this course, what is one positive thing you'd tell these students and one negative thing you'd tell them?
Using former students' literal responses to this question (with some minor grammatical editing), I have developed a table of comments that I present to the new students.
One advantage of including this information is that it comes from fellow students and not the instructor. Based on realistic job preview research, students should perceive such information as more accurate, believable, and balanced than if it came from the instructor. It is analogous to a fellow worker giving a newcomer the "inside scoop" on what work will be like as opposed to getting that information from a supervisor or not getting that information at all.
Evaluation of the efficacy of the RCP, as well as extensions and variations of the RCP model, will be presented.