The Role of Orientation Programs to Prepare Students for Online Learning: A Case Study From an Executive MPH Program

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has caused many colleges and universities throughout the United States to pivot from in-person teaching to distance-based instruction, and while this form of education offers many advantages, one challenge facing institutions of higher education is how to best prepare their students for success in the online environment. This article describes the approach used by a hybrid executive Master of Public Health (MPH) program to orient its students, who are all working professionals, to the online environment. In addition to a description of the online orientation course, quantitative and qualitative evaluation findings are shared. The article includes recommendations for establishing an online orientation program. Although the orientation described was developed for working professionals earning an MPH degree, the approach can be applied or adapted to other online programs as they face the need to prepare students for online delivery, whether during a time of emergency like the coronavirus pandemic or during a period of natural programmatic growth.

The Design of a Master of Public Health Professional Development Course During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Application of the Salmon Model

“…We uploaded all course material, links to submissions, and sign-ups onto the web-based course management system, Avenue to Learn. Research has shown the importance of adequate orientation of students at the start of an online course to ensure that the diverse student population is comfortable navigating through the content and successful in completing tasks (Alperin et al, 2020; Song et al, 2004). For our PDS course, we set aside the entire first week to allow students to follow instructions listed in point form (as opposed to paragraphs) to clearly direct students to tasks that needed completion.…”

Learning Odyssey: Assessing User Satisfaction through Library Guided Tour

“…Due to the growing reliance on digital resources, the library is responsible for ensuring users can access these materials efficiently. Online tutorials on using library websites, gaining access to electronic materials, and using cite management software are also available (Alperin et al, 2020).…”

No Student Left Behind: Students’ Experiences of a Self-Paced Online Learning Orientation in Undergraduate Studies during COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Orientation tools for online learning have been credited with aiding students, particularly those new to online learning, with navigating the online environment before beginning courses and solving time management and self-regulation difficulties [19,[21][22][23]. Alperin et al [24] reported that students enrolled in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Emory University in the United States (US) were confident in navigating the learning management system (LMS) after participating in an online orientation program. Larson [25] provided an online orientation via skype for undergraduate students at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and reported that students enjoyed participating in the orientation, felt that the online tools were helpful, and motivated them to complete the course.…”