The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners

List of Figures, Tables, and Exhibits xi

Preface xiii

About the Authors xxi

Part One: A Profile of the Virtual Student

1 Who is the Virtual Student? 3

2 The Student Side of Online Learning Communities 15

3 Learning Styles 29

4 Gender, Culture, Lifestyle, and Geography 39

5 What the Virtual Student Needs 51

Part Two: A Guide to Working With the Virtual Student: Issues, Concerns, and Strategies

6 Designing a Good Student Orientation 65

7 Time and Commitment 77

8 Assessment and Evaluation 89

9 Legal Issues and the Virtual Student 103

10 Attrition, Retention, and Group Size 112

11 Becoming Truly Learner-Focused: Best Practices in Online Teaching 124

Introduction to the Toolkit for a Successful Online Student 139

Resource A: Faculty Tools 143

Resource B: Student Tools 161

References 179

Index 185