Why Distance Education Needs Digital Communities with Visionary Katy Kappler

The Brighter Side of Education: Research, Innovation & Resources

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In this episode, I focus on digital communities with Katy Kappler. Why do we need them and how can it increase student completion rates in distance education?

The potential of technology in education is so great that there is a steady increase in the number of online courses available in higher education every year. Distance education is an effective tool with the capability to enhance learning experiences with the added benefit of flexibility.

However, completion rates for online courses are surprisingly low. 40-80% of online learners just give up. How could such an effective education model fail to go the distance to completion and why do college students drop them? Data suggests that motivation, technical issues, and lack of support are the three major reasons.

Dr. Hughes M. Brown, et al., identified these concerns in his 2015 study with first semester college students taking distance learning classes. His recommendation was that more needs to be done by institutions to change the "lone wolf" preconception and avoid the "goulash approach" to supporting distance learners. He went on to state that lives of distance learners are not black and white, but rather "complex shades of grey and this needs to be taken in to account when designing appropriate learning experiences and supports to ensure student success."

Katy offers insights into how digital communities can be used to create student-centered environments, improve student outcomes, and increase a sense of belonging for online students. She was named one of 144 women CEOs and founders of Leading Global EdTech Startups in March. Katy is the CEO and Co-founder of InScribe, an innovative digital community platform, slated to be one of the world's most promising ed tech startups. To learn more, go to www.inscribeapp.com.
The call to action is that distance education is not a "lone wolf" experience. Digital communities create a greater sense of belonging and improve student success. Use them if you have them, get them if you don't. It may be the di

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Visit my website for resources: http://www.drlisarhassler.com
The music in this podcast was written and performed by Brandon Picciolini of the Lonesome Family Band. Visit and follow him on Instagram.
My publications:
America's Embarrassing Reading Crisis: What we learned from COVID, A guide to help educational leaders, teachers, and parents change the game, is available on Amazon, Kindle, and Audible, and iTunes.
My Weekly Writing Journal: 15 Weeks of Writing for Primary Grades on Amazon.
World of Words: A Middle School Writing Notebook Using...

Chapitres

1. Why Distance Education Needs Digital Communities with Visionary Katy Kappler (00:00:00)

2. Research on Distance Education Course Completion Rates (00:00:42)

3. Katy Kappler Introduction and Origin Story (00:01:51)

4. Support for Non-traditional and Underserved Student Populations (00:04:11)

5. Why We Need Digital Communities and Measured Student Success (00:07:55)

6. How to Access Inscribe's Digital Communities (00:12:21)

7. Higher Ed & K-12 (00:17:17)

8. Start Up Weekends (00:18:37)

9. Parting Advice, What you Need to Know (00:21:32)

10. Call to Action (00:23:36)