Abstract
Existing research on facilitators in K-12 schools has focused on supplemental online programs where on-site personnel work with online students in a local brick-and-mortar school. While some insightful research exists focused on online facilitators at full-time cyber schools, additional research is needed to examine facilitators using synchronous support. The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how the role of a facilitator in a full-time cyber school could help to address students’ cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted qualitative interviews with two administrators and four advocates during Spring 2020, using the Academic Communities of Engagement Framework as a lens to understand the advocates’ role. Findings confirmed the need for a facilitator role to support online student engagement. This type of research will provide insights to full-time cyber schools and will be insightful to those seeking to engage students during emergency remote learning.
Highlights
The majority of the existing research on facilitators has focused on supplemental online programs where on-site facilitators work with online students in a local brick-andmortar school (Borup, 2018)
The interview analysis resulted in findings that were categorized by the behavioral, affective, and cognitive components of the Adolescent Community of Engagement (ACE) framework and allowed researchers to hear about the practices of the advocate
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the difficulty teachers have in consistently engaging students in learning activities online (Francom et al, 2021)
Summary
Johnson (2008) explained that there are two sides of teaching--the human and the academic--and argued that the former was the more difficult. Prior to the TechTrends (2022) 66:366–379 pandemic, experienced online teachers found it difficult to engage all of their students in learning activities, resulting in attrition rates higher than that found in in-person courses (Freidhoff, 2021). While some insightful research exists focused on online facilitators at full-time cyber schools, additional research is needed to examine other models and strategies, especially those using synchronous communication and support. Will this type of research provide insights to full-time cyber schools, it will prove insightful to those seeking to better engage students during emergency remote learning. In the ACE framework Borup et al (2020) identified the following three dimensions of academic engagement:
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