Zhou 1

Zijun Zhou
English 1A, CRN # 50680
Professor Ogden
06/21/2015

2617 S Robertson Blvd.

Los Angles, CA 90034
June 21 2015
Pasadena City College
1570 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
Dear Instruction Dean,
Good afternoon. I am a student at Pasadena City College, like many other PCC students, I
too am a non-traditional college student. Online enrollment has greatly increased because
it is such a great way to accommodate the need of our schedule because most of us have
more responsibilities than traditional college students. However, the statistics and studies
show that the performance and competition rate of community college is not as good as
that of traditional courses. This has been a serious issue that needs to attract immediate
attention, careful investigation, and discreet execution. Some people suggest that there
are flaws of online courses based on the academic outcome and completion rate
compared to those of traditional courses but others believe that online course can be
successfully completed with adequate guidance and scaffolding from the instructor as
well as the administration. In my proposal, it addresses the problem of the issue, the
reasons may contribute to the issue, and a series of possible means to help solving the
problem. I sincerely hope my proposal which may not be exquisite enough can draw your
attention into this important matter.
Thank you very much,
Sincerely,
Zijun Zhou

Zhou 2
Stay in School, Stay Online

When it comes to the topic of community college online enrollment, most of us

will readily agree that it is a great way to accommodate the need of their students
schedule because most of them have more responsibilities than traditional college
students and the students who complete online education learn as much as those in
conventional classes. Many studies show that online learning has been increasingly
favored by college students in the past decades; however, the learning outcome of online
learning does not synchronize with its growing popularity (Xu and Jaggars 1). Jaggars
contended according to overall across studies, students who took a given course online
has estimated withdrawal rates that were 10 to 15 percentage points higher than students
who took the course face-to-face" (1-3, Wojciechowsk 1). The statistics suggests the there
are flaws lie in the online coursework because the students who take face-to-face courses
outperform the ones who take online courses.
Other experts question the student-teacher and student-student interactions are
limited compared to traditional courses (Xu and Jaggars 1-3). Online courses are
especially risky for those who are underprepared or traditionally underserved students.
On the other hand, many proponents of distance learning say that online education can
contribute to greater learning outcomes, and that higher online dropout rates are due not
to the medium per se but rather to the characteristics of students who choose online
courses (see, e.g., Howell, Laws, & Lindsay, 2004). I say that online education can be a
great learning channel for adult or non-traditional college students if extra help and
scaffoldings can be provided to online class takers.

Zhou 3
There are many challenges posed for learners and educators engaged in online
learning and teaching format may lead to the low success rate of online learning. First,
many enrolled online community college students are low-income and underprepared
students who have limited access to high speed Internet (Jaggars and Bailey 10).
Research suggests that only 43% of households, 48% of adults who had at most a high
school degree, and 52% of African Americans had high-speed Internet access at home
(see Rainie, Estabrook, & Witt, 2007). That is, they need to find a computer at a public
space or borrow someones device to study somewhere outside their homes. Second,
computer literacy and navigation skills may influence the study outcome. Students who
take online courses need to not only work on the course materials but also the technology
skills to participate the class. Some students are well prepared to commit to the online
courses while others cannot cope with both tasks at the same time. Third, key
characteristics such high levels of motivation, self-efficacy, persistence, commination
skills, etc. are vital to the success of distance learning (Jaggars and Bailey 12,
Wojciechowsk 2-3). The students who are more communicative and eager to seek online
resources such as e-tutoring or online advisors to aid their learning will more likely to
succeed in online learning.
Thus, the high dropout rates and also the multiple reasons behind the situation
may lead to an explanation that the online environment is not suitable for all students.
Students who are unfamiliar with online courses, or students who are simply eager for a
change of venue, often need direction as to which course format to select
(Wojciechowsk 2-3). The solutions of changing the high dropout rates are suggested in
the following areas: 1) ask students to take online readiness assessment before dive in; 2)

Zhou 4
provide online class orientation session and course management system tutorial before
class starts; 3) provide adequate face-to-face or online support services such as advising
and tutoring as a supplement to online learning; 4) offer faculty development support to
ensure instructors teach online courses effectively.
The online readiness assessment provides students and advisors with feedback on
whether one is prepared to complete an online class by evaluating learners basic
computer literacy and other basic skills (Xu and Jaggars 28-29). For new online learners,
one needs to assess him/herself before diving into online classes for the best learning
outcome. It could be very intimidating for a new online learner to start an online class
because instructors would assume class takers know the general technology terms or
jargons. Also, some common word processing software such as Word and TextEdit,
online programs like Google docs and Google drive are expected to master before the
class starts. Without these basic knowledge, online class takers may feel intimidated and
do not know where to start, which would increase the rate of dropout or failure. Taking an
online readiness assessment in the very first class can provide the class takers a basic idea
of how ready they are to cope with an online class. Feedback from the assessment can
help students work on the weaknesses along they take the online course. The students
who score very poorly should be discouraged from taking online classes since they
probably do not possess the characteristics or skills of succeeding on online learning.
Seeking suggestions from their advisors on what format and type of courses that best fit
them can help them from failing or dropping out (Jaggars, Shanna, and Bailey 12-13).
The orientation or tutorial of how to use online Course Management System
(CMS) is oftentimes overlooked too. CMS is an online platform that universities or

Zhou 5
colleges use for course interactions between instructors and class takers. It could be
overwhelming for someone without any experience with CMS to get familiar with an
online learning system within a short time. Some students like Chen who takes online
classes from different colleges also face bigger challenges because they need to juggle
from one CMS to another during the same period of time (Chen). The commonly used
CMS include Canvas, Blackboard Learn, Moodle, and Desire2Learn that are totally
different from one and another in regards to the functions and formats. It may take at least
10 hours or even more to be proficient with a new system for a new user, may be even
longer for an inexperienced online learner. Besides, even you are using the same CMS for
different courses, instructors may set up the system differently according to their
preference. According to Chen, an experienced online course taker, she said I take
classes from two colleges which use Canvas and Desire2Learn; I spent more than two
weeks to be fluent in using the new system because using Canvas has made me
accustomed with one system already. I hate wasting time on finding one particular feature
of a new system (Chen). It is suggested to compete the tutorial or orientation and take a
completion test before start the course can help with the struggle. Many tutorials only
provide instruction but no exercises, which can be better improved by offering students
how to master the course management system through practice tasks (Martinez 2-3).
Personally, I too would appreciate it if every single teacher could provide a CMS tutorial
and exercises in the beginning of the course. In this way, it will help new users navigate
different functions and features in the shortest time without yelling at the computer and
thinking about giving up.

Zhou 6
Many schools provide e-advising systems that help students plan course
schedules. However, Jaggars points out that if not everyone uses it or not everyone knows
about it, then the system will be a waste of investment. Online advice and interactive
tools can never replace the role of face-to-face consultation with a knowledgeable
human being (The Technology). In some of my online classes, the instructors kindly
provide 2-3 times telephone meetings or video meetings to solve students problems
throughout the semester before big projects due. I tend to perform better in these classes
since I can directly ask my questions and follow up on his/her answers if I do not
understand right away. The prompt communication seems more efficient because it does
not delay the process of thinking and understanding. I sometimes forget what my
questions are when I receive the questions I ask my instructors days ago, and I have to
wait at least 24 hours to know the answer if I have further questions. Thus, it is
imperative to provide online students the same support as traditional students through
offering free advisors and face-to-face meetings. Jaggars says there is a social
component to navigating college. Sometimes students just need to feel like they have an
ally, someone who is looking out for them (The Technology). Although traditional
face-to-face classes can be replaced by online learning, it is proved that in person
advising can provide students, especially the online course takers, more direct and prompt
help either in the area of academic planning or academic tutoring.
Last but not least, teacher training regarding online learning is critical too. In
order to improve the quality of online education, faculty need to first master how to teach
online and take advantage of the e-learning platforms. Many faculties are outdated
because they do not teach online courses all the time and others may not be

Zhou 7
professionally trained to teach online courses. According to Palloff, Rena, and Pratt, both
novices and experienced teacher have problem with transforming a course that has been
taught for years in the face-to-face classroom into one that will work online (67). Some
inexperienced teachers do not know how to make online courses more communicative
and engage students as in traditional classes (Palloff Rena and Pratt, 67-70). Literature
suggests that some instructors do not take advantage of computer-mediated distance
education, but simply transfer their in-class pedagogy to an online format (Jaggars and
Bailey 1-2). Providing sufficient supports to faculties that teach online courses, or
requiring these instructors to take teacher-training classes once every period of time can
better empower faculties to teach and help online learners succeed (Xu and Jaggars 2728, Jenkins).
Overall, online education will be more and more favored by todays college
students due to its time flexibility and low cost. However, the challenges posed for both
students and teachers cannot be overlooked if we want to ensure the learning outcome of
this new format of education. More assistance and scaffoldings to both students and
teachers mentioned above should be taken into account if we want further development
online education and make this format as a great substitute for adult college students in
the future.

Zhou 8

Works Cited
Yuwen, Chen. Personal interview. 18 June. 2015
Martinez, Margaret. "High attrition rates in e-learning: Challenges, predictors and
solutions." The E-Learning Developers Journal 14 (2003): 1-8
Palloff, Rena M., and Keith Pratt. Lessons from the cyberspace classroom: The realities of
online teaching. John Wiley & Sons, 2002.

Wojciechowski, Amy, and Louann Bierlein Palmer. "Individual student characteristics:

Can any be predictors of success in online classes?." Online Journal of Distance
Learning Administration 8.2 (2005).
Jaggars, Shanna, and Thomas R. Bailey. "Effectiveness of fully online courses for college
students: Response to a Department of Education meta-analysis." (2010).
Quinton, Sophie. "The Technology That Help More Community College Students
Graduate." The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 15
June 2015.
Xu, Di, and Shanna Smith Jaggars. "Online and Hybrid Course Enrollment and
Performance in Washington State Community and Technical Colleges. CCRC
Working Paper No. 31." Community College Research Center, Columbia
University (2011).

Zhou 9

Zhou 10

Zhou 11

Zhou 12

Zhou 13

Zhou 14

Zhou 15

Zhou 16

Zhou 17

Zhou 18

Zhou 19

Zhou 20

Zhou 21

Zhou 22