If you are a regular reader, then I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about support a hundred times before.
Your students will get much better results from your online course if they have support as they work through your content. A study of Open Online Courses showed an average completion rate of just 10%. Yup, 10%!
But it doesn’t have to be that way. By offering a range of support options throughout your course, you can help your students if they get stuck, and keep them accountable along the way.
And remember, you want your students to finish the course… because students who finish and get great results to become raving fans and big refers.
5 Ways to Offer Support:
Via email:
If nothing else, you should at least have a support@yourwebsite email address where they can reach out for technical support or issues.
But better still, they should be able to ask questions about the content and
get recommendations for their next steps.
Support Group:
It’s fairly common practice to offer a private Facebook group to support your students as part of your course. If your students don’t spend time on Facebook, then you might want to look at other options for your support group. You could offer a slack chat just for course participants or use WeChat or even have a private forum.
Group Live Calls:
A group call is a good way to offer support without having to spend hours doing one on one calls. You can use these calls as an opportunity to cover specific content and teach live lessons, or you can use these calls for Q and A, allowing students to share where they are stuck.
You can also use group calls for accountability, getting students to check-in, share where they are up to, and plan what they will be doing next.
Consider that these calls become harder to manage as your groups grow, and you may need to have a couple of calls spread across the day to reduce the number of people attending a single call.
One on One Coaching:
If your course requires more personalization or in-depth support, then one on one coaching is a great way to go. The frequency would depend on the needs of your program (and the price point) but you could consider anything from once a week, to just once during the course.
Feedback and Review of Their Work:
A great way to offer personalized support is to ask your students to submit their work as they go. By reviewing their submissions, you can see how they are progressing and show them areas for improvement. It also gives you an opportunity to check that your content is working, as you can make sure that your student understands.
Remember, you’re not limited to offering just one method of support.
Decide which methods suit you and your students best and use a combination of strategies
to help them on their way.
