The Virtual Student

The Virtual Student is an essential resource for online educators working with students in higher education and training settings. The authors offer an overview of the key issues of student online learning and provide a practical guide to working with online students. The book covers a broad range of topics including learning styles, multicultural issues, evaluation, retention, and the challenging problems of plagiarism and cheating.

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

"…an especially useful resource…" (Teaching Theology and Religion)

"The Virtual Student deserves a spot on every university educator's bookshelf." (University Business, August 2003)

Rena M. Palloff is a core faculty member at Capella University in the School of Education and adjunct faculty at the Fielding Graduate Institute. Keith Pratt is core faculty in the School of Education at Capella University and also teaches at the Fielding Graduate Institute. Palloff and Pratt have been appointed to the faculty of the Center for Excellence in Education and are managing partners of Crossroads Consulting Group. They are the authors of Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace and Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom, both from Jossey-Bass. The Virtual Student is an essential resource for online educators working with students in higher education and training settings. The authors offer an overview of the key issues of student online learning and provide a practical guide to working with online students. The book covers a broad range of topics including learning styles, multicultural issues, evaluation, retention, and the challenging problems of plagiarism and cheating.

"Just when you thought you had covered the online teaching waterfront, here come Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt with their most engaging research to date. The Virtual Student enables you to view the entire process through the lens of the learner, and in doing so, to deepen your understanding of online learning dynamics and the results you want to create."
— Kathleen Stinehart, Dean for Academic Outreach, Mary Baldwin College

"A must-read for those who are concerned about issues such as student satisfaction, retention, and attrition in online courses."
— Wilson Azevedo, director, Brazilian Association of Distance Education

"The Virtual Student is well written and documented, with frequent illustrations, examples, quotes from learners, and very useful toolkits for faculty and learners. It is a great read and guide for faculty, designers, administrators, and learners interested in online learning. What they will discover is that this book is really about effective pedagogy, regardless of the setting."
— Michael J. Offerman, president, Capella University