A Yoobee Online tutor in a facilitated asynchronous learning environment is there to guide, motivate and help the students with their learning, when needed. Consider the synonyms facilitator or mentor, as equivalent to tutor.
Each programmes’ learning material is provided in Yoobee Online, so there is no need for ‘classroom’ style learning. Just guidance and advice, when needed.
One of the key roles of the online tutor is to keep students engaged and motivated during their programme of study.
Following the Engagement plan, each tutor has engagement points with their classes/intakes that will help keep the students motivated with their learning. Some of these engagement points are linked to content within Yoobee Online, others are linked to moments in the programme.
As a subject expert, the online tutor will also be there to help with any questions around the learning material and be available for students to message via the Yoobee Online messaging, for any subject question. Or be able to direct the student to the correct place for help, for any other question.
Being aware of student’s privacy is of upmost importance to Yoobee.
Please read below for guidelines on how best to protect the privacy of our students:
- Do not give our any student contact information to another student.
- Do not discuss details pertaining to a student with another student.
- For under 18 year olds and parents, discuss the situation with a Team Leader.
- As a rule, do not use student surnames when discussing a student to any person outside of Yoobee or if discussing a complicated issue relating to that student. Use the first name then surname initial only.
- Do not give out your private contact information to a student.
Please see Yoobee’s QMS for more information. (You must be logged in to Sharepoint to view this link.)
Link to government privacy website. (You will need to log in.)
There is an Engagement and Touchpoint plan for every course/programme within Yoobee Online.
It is divided into two sections:
- Engagement plan – the times where Yoobee Online connects with students learning. It is linked with the content as well as moments within the programme.
- Touchpoint plan – the situations of engagement that flags “absence” i.e. students are disengaged.
Aspects of the Engagement plan is linked to the content within Yoobee Online. Within modules there are Activities used as formative assessment and a chance for student to share their work and get feedback before they start on the summative assessment. In the instructions there will be a “Post in the forum” comment.
The timing of when students should post in the forum also gives students a schedule to follow. Monday messaging is a chance to highlight upcoming events and keep momentum going; again it supports the students’ time management. Other engagement points are designed to create connection, or celebrate goals, or create interest in the topic, or to extend knowledge within the content.
The Touchpoint section holds the points that raises flag for Yoobee Online while monitoring engagement. In an on-campus situation, students are tracked by their attendance and non-attendance is the flag raising moment, Yoobee Online has log-in, involvement in discussions and submissions as our form of “attendance”.
NZQA also knows that Yoobee Online has an Engagement/Touchpoint plan as a way we ensure students are on track. It can be evidence in our self-assessment review (SAR) process for any audits, NZQA EER and monitor visits. It will also be within new programme documentation.
Can you deviate from this plan?
Yes and no. As mentioned above its linked to the content and part of our SAR activity. However there is nothing stopping you adding more threads in the forum, sending more messages or holding live sessions where you feel the students will benefit from an extension or clarification of the content. Just keep it within the LOs and GPOs of the programme and infrequent enough that you maintain the asynchronous environment.
Record any live sessions so that all students in the intake can benefit. The wording with for the engagement points might not be your style of communication, so please adjust it. Remember to keep the same ideas within it: “engage in the activity, share your work/thoughts and involve yourself with other students work.” We want to encourage interaction and connection, not lurking.
Community support that surrounds the Yoobee Online student.
When a student studies online, in an asynchronous environment it is sometimes lonely and disconnected.
Being disconnected can result in disengagement with the content and programme. By considering the layers of community for the online student, Yoobee recognises its role and where it plays a part in supporting the online student. This forms a part of whanaungatanga – forming close connections between people, a form of kinship.
Student/Tutor
- Weekly communication from the tutor in various forms such as forums, chat, email etc.
- 1:1 bookings
- 1:1 messaging from tutor
- Yoobee Online log-in reports for the tutor to follow up – pastoral care issues, At risk situations
- Scheduled Live Sessions time
Student/Tutor/Intake
- Weekly discussion forums
- Scheduled Live Sessions time
- Water Cooler spot for chats outside of study through the message function
- An exhibition space for peer feedback
- Instructions/Encouragement from tutor for intake to make a MS Team/Facebook group/WhatsApp group
- Intake student/class rep
Student/Campus
- Masterclass sessions
- Campus Connection – newsletter, student newsletter etc.
- Yoobee social media
- Yoobee events – online students are invited, the event is streamed for them to join
- Learning Support person is the next layer of support, after the tutor – On Campus students have the Learner Success Person, reception, Team Leaders etc.
- Student Rep meetings
- Online Campus Administrator
Student/Industry
- Q&A session Online with an industry person each semester (or another tutor from a programme above the current one)
- Industry news, events, freebies
- Industry associations
- Links to industry info page – who’s out there, how to get involved, job/internship listings
NOTE: Italic text indicates possibility to create should we consider it valuable.
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Who: |
Potential Student Issues and areas of responsibility: |
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FIRST LAYER |
| Tutor |
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SECOND LAYER |
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Teaching and Learning Support |
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OUTER LAYER |
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Counsellor |
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| Enrolment (Sales Team) |
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| Team Leader / Campus Manager |
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| International Student Support |
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| Quality Team |
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| Tutor / Team Leader |
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Final layer before NZQA/TEC |
| Faculty Leads / Head of Operations / Campus Manager |
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Not that we want to start talking about the negative, but as tutors, you will need to be aware of what to do when a student complains. It is very important to manage the situation as soon as it arises. You don't have to manage it completely by yourself, but you might be the start of the process.
The Student Handbook has the complaints procedure outlined for the students to refer to. It also has the Academic Appeals process.
For you, please refer to the procedure found in Sharepoint.
It outlines clearly the difference between an Informal and a Formal complaint and what to do with either.
