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Moving new student orientations to a fully online or blended format has made these programs more affordable, convenient, and accessible for students and their families, and more efficient and streamlined for college and university staff.
Leslie Mojeiko, Allyson Haskell, Stephen Carter, Instructional Designers and Shannon Dunn, Assistant Director of Instructional Design at the University of Florida recommends, As colleges and universities worldwide have adapted to offer primarily remote instruction in 2020, changes to new student orientation programs have been necessary as well.
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| Photo: OlgaOzik / Shutterstock.com © 2020 |
For many institutions, the goal has been to design a fully online or blended orientation experience that encourages the same level of engagement and sense of community as an in-person program. Observing how these orientations develop to meet these challenges will be exciting. During this time of change, three notable benefits of online or blended orientations have emerged: increased convenience, affordability, and accessibility. While many institutions may go back to an in-person orientation in future academic years, colleges and universities should consider maintaining at least a portion of their orientation programs in an online format within their institution's learning management system (LMS)...
font-family: arial;">In April 2020, the instructional design team at the University of Florida (UF) partnered with staff in the New Student and Family Programs and advisors across campus to develop a fully online version of UF Preview, the orientation experience for new students and their families. The instructional design team employed their expertise in education, technology, and user experience to help create a more efficient orientation program that provides a number of benefits to students and families and aligns with national trends...
Summary
Although the process is difficult, restructuring orientation programs into an online or blended format provides students and their families with a more affordable and accessible experience that allows them to revisit content whenever they like. This year has been challenging, and if 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we need to effectively adapt to unexpected challenges as they arise. Orientation programs are often the institution's first opportunity to engage and interact with a student. It is imperative for colleges and universities to create an inclusive experience that is welcoming to everyone. While the traditional in-person UF Preview experience will not be replaced entirely, moving the orientations online has offered some advantages. When orientations move back to an in-person format in the future, institutions may opt to combine online and in-person components, leveraging lessons learned from a challenging year to benefit students and staff.
Source: EDUCAUSE Review
