Attendance and Participation
From ElateWiki
New online instructors ponder how to "count" attendance and participation. Some decide to do without this measure and go instead with demonstrated work by students. Some consider "seat time" somewhat passe.
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Attendance Equivalency
Most learning / course management systems in mainstream use today do include ways to track learner participation. Some degree and certificate programs require some minimum hours of seat time. Other instructors would argue that students could (and have) just logged on and not really interacted with the materials or learned. This measure of online logging on does not equal work or learning. For many online courses, students may do a majority of their work off-line and just come on-line to participate in class events, to interact with others, and to upload their work. Their online "time" may not reflect the amount of effort they've put into the learning.
Interactions with Others
Some instructors will design discussions that students are asked to participate in. These interactions involve synthesis and analysis of ideas. It also involves some socializing. The postings between students should be substantive and content-rich to enhance the learning.
Many faculty will also create learner "lounges" in message boards (discussion boards) to capture some of the casual interactivity that may occur in "hallways conversations." These types of postings are seen as in-class participation.
Participation
Online participation may be measured then in the quality of the work submitted, the interactions with peers and the instructor, the presence and work during synchronous events, and other factors. A student's "telepresence" is not just a flat created bio but their actions and interactions online.
The Measurability of Attendance and Participation
Some faculty will assign points to the number and quality of postings in required message board work. Others use a more purely quantitative measure of online time and "clicks" through the curriculum. These are all approximations of attendance and participation though. More work will likely be done in this area about how to validate both of these factors, for those programs that require this.