In With the Old and Out With the New:
Technical Support for Non-Traditional Online Students

Brynn Flynn

Abstract: For the nearly 40% of non-traditional students, the idea of taking an online course can be daunting; they often enter the course without computer experience, and are more likely to experience technical difficulties.   When remote connection software is not an option—due to slow Internet connection speeds or computer limitations—it is important for a support specialist to be able to provide instructions as detailed and comprehensible as if they were standing over the user’s shoulder to avoid further unease and uncertainty.  Establishing guidelines and methods for a mental map of a user’s computer and describing that map to the user can help resolve these complications, and allow the student to proceed through the course confidently while learning a visual method for interacting with the computer. This method seeks to address the issue of technical problems as they occur, while encouraging confidence and comfort working with the computer in the end user.

In the February 2012 report Pathways to Success, the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance outlined a series of uncomfortable truths in regards to the state of higher education in the United States (ACSFA 2012).  Among those lies the idea of a series of barriers that stand in the way of complete, coherent education: situational, institutional, and dispositional.  Though the barriers that exist in education are often outside of an institution’s direct control, any institution can have a profound and lasting impact on their learners by providing not just academic support, but a comprehensive technological support structure for an increasingly wired-in—and more importantly, greyer—student body.
The question then becomes how to provide this support for students who demur, “Oh, I’m not very tech-savvy”, or “I hate these things”? Extracting any meaningful information from a student can be next to impossible when the user throws up dispositional barriers to the simplest question.  Having been thwarted from completing a simple—from all appearances, and from the way their classmates breeze through it—assignment, many non-traditional students shy away from addressing the issue and ignore it, find convoluted and difficult to track workarounds, or simply give up and quit.
The crucial point is when the student reaches out for help, or is contacted by a support technician after the professor notices a problem with the student’s submissions or assignments.  In this moment the responder has the opportunity to change the student’s perception of what is possible, what they know, and what they can learn to deduce for themselves, all of which can be sparked by the simple way the technician uses language.  Building a comprehensive ‘mind-map’ that accurately lays out the unique terminology used by the student user enables the technician to relate complicated solutions and foster learning.
While many of the concepts presented relate to the English language directly, the core tenets can be applied to any language through interpretation, not translation.  Simply switching the phrases and ideas in this paper is insufficient, as it will fail to bring over the cultural, regional, and personal touches that infuse every word.  Please use these techniques as a guideline or suggestion, not as the absolute truth.


Self-Identification
Let’s begin with the typical phone call.

TECHNICIAN: Hello, you’ve reached the HelpNet! What can I help you with today?
STUDENT: Hi, I’m in the online program, and I’m having some trouble with my computer.
TECHNICIAN: Alright, what seems to be going on? Can you describe the problem for me?
STUDENT: Well, I’m not sure.  I’m not that good with computers.  I need to watch a lecture, but when I click on the link nothing happens.

	Right away, the student is showing signs of inexperience.  This isn’t a negative type of inexperience though—they’re not immediately attacking the computer.  They are leaving the possibility open that it’s not that the computer that’s the problem with their dual statements of inexperience and uncertainty.  This is something we can use to our advantage to educate this student.

TECHNICIAN: I’m glad you called! Could you describe for me what happens when you click on the link? Does the page go white? Is there an error message?

	This is an important part of the process—you want to give the student an idea of the kinds of things you’re looking for.  While you may have a library of possible issues already catalogued, the student may not know how to describe the issue to you in a helpful manner.  If the student says “nothing happens” they may not realize there are dozens of issues that can fall under that heading.  By describing what you’ve identified as the most common errors, you’re giving the student a vocabulary to use and base their own analysis on.
	In addition, attention should be paid to the use of the word ‘describe’.  Students will happily tell what’s wrong with their course, but very rarely will they volunteer an actual description unless asked.  A good technician will often be placed on a pedestal such that students expect them to be able to identify an issue just by hearing the words, ‘It’s not working’.  Never assume this of your own knowledge! Always ask the student to describe the situation, and use that to build the beginnings of your visual map.

STUDENT: Yes! I click on the link, and then the page goes white.  Nothing happens at all.
TECHNICIAN: Thank you, that’s very helpful.  May I ask what web browser you’re using?
STUDENT: I’m using the Foxfire, or Mozilla.  Mozilla, that’s it.  The one with the blue ‘E’.  Oh dear, hang on, it just opened another screen for some reason.

The student’s given us another important clue about their comfort level.  The two most common web browsers in our program are Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.  But from the information the student has given us, we can’t be certain which operating system they’re using—in this case the error itself won’t help us, because it occurs on both platforms.  We need to find a way to get the exact answer from the student without confusing them.

TECHNICIAN: When you want to go on the Internet, can you describe what you click on? Does it look like a blue ‘E’?
STUDENT: Yes, a blue ‘E’.

We’ve actually killed two birds with one stone here.  We know they must be using a Windows-based computer, which we couldn’t know until we confirmed that they were using Internet Explorer.  But how can we identify which version of Windows? XP problems can be very different from Vista or Windows 7, so it’s crucial we learn this before proceeding.

TECHNICIAN: Great! And in the bottom left corner of your computer, do you see a button that says ‘Start’, or do you see a circle?
STUDENT: A circle.  That’s the button I click to turn off the computer, right?

Now, we’ve taken a chance with how we asked about the version.  Some users have modified their desktop, either by accident or on purpose, to move the taskbar to the top or sides of their screen.  However, most users remember seeing the button we’re describing, and can supply the information we need.  They will often ask if it’s the button they use to turn off the computer, as this student did.

TECHNICIAN: Exactly.  Now, you mentioned the screen goes white—can you see anything on the screen? Does the course menu on the left disappear?
STUDENT: No, I can still see the menu, and I can see where it says, “This Week’s Video”, but there isn’t a video.  It’s just white.


Building the Visual Map
With the initial conversation items out of the way, we can build a visual map of the user’s computer screen, which we will use throughout the support instance.  Taking a moment or two after identifying the key components of a student’s computer to build this map allows you to instruct them accurately, and to use the student’s language when interfacing with computer to better support and guide them.
Below you will find the initial mind-map the student described to us (Fig. 1).  Only the important aspects of the computer are included, such as the browser version, the shape and placement of the Start button, and the general layout of course pages as arranged in the university, along with the settings button and its location.

http://i.imgur.com/uSisl.png
Figure 1: The initial mind-map.
With the map established, it’s time to add in the notes gleaned from the conversation with the student (Fig. 2).

http://i.imgur.com/OSOBY.png
Figure 2: The mind-map, with personal details added.
The simplicity of the map is its strength.  With the essential details identified, it’s now possible to adjust the language you use to better match the student’s built-in lexicon of phrases.  The student’s computer dictionary was developed independent of the commonly accepted and used terms.  The gap between what the user understands about their computer and your detailed knowledge causes the rift that many students will never cross, choosing instead to allow someone to fix the problem.  They never reach out to learn about why a problem exists.
Your ability as a support technician to learn and apply the user’s unique dictionary will help you respond and change your language that much faster the next time a student calls for assistance with a problem. When a user hears something as simple as clear the cache they freeze and become reactive, responding only to direct instructions.  They never wonder why clearing the cache resolves their problem. This reactive behavior can be useful—as long as they follow instructions, the problem will be resolved with a minimum of fuss.  However, as a support technician you should always strive to educate your users, and make them aware of what a computer is truly capable of.
How then, to explain the possible Flash Player conflict in our scenario? One method would be to say, “Your Flash Player is out of date”, install the correct version, and move on.  That doesn’t explain to the user what happened, or how you came to this conclusion, and doesn’t empower them with the ability to gather information for you ahead of time.  Instead you should take them step-by-step through the discovery process.  Begin by sending them to a website to test their Flash Player and to gather the version information.  Then, explain to the user why you needed this information by saying:

TECHNICIAN: It sounds like you’re using a version of Flash that’s been problematic.  It’s having trouble loading the video.  We know it’s not a browser issue, because you’re able to load the rest of the screen fine.

By explaining your thought process to the user you are enabling them not just to understand, but to begin to develop the critical and analytical skills needed to become self-sufficient users of technology.  When you promote active participation and comprehension your users will begin to approach you with clear and comprehensive descriptions of their problems.  They will learn from your model and work to find the answers to your usual spread of questions.
Final Thoughts
When support personnel pick up the phone, they dread hearing the words “Something’s not working, can you fix it?” However the words, “Have you tried turning the computer off and on?” are just as dreaded by the other party.  As the figure of encompassing knowledge it is the duty of the technician to work with the user and educate them not by forcing them to perform mundane tasks without explanation, but rather to take the time to educate the user and build a better computing environment.  When the user is informed, they are better prepared to give definite answers when asked about the status of their computer and avoid the reply, “Operating system? I use Internet Explorer”.
While there will always be those who refuse to listen, learn, or expand their experience with computers, utilizing the requestor’s self-taught terminology places them in a comfort zone, an area they left by reaching out for help in the first place.  Once they feel secure, a conversation and impromptu lesson can begin, and a new power-user is born.  Explaining precisely why something isn’t working, while using language established by the requestor, will encourage users of all ages and comfort levels to work with you to tackle problems as a team.  You will find your users will volunteer information they ‘didn’t think was important’ when you take this approach, simply because you will have taught them what to look for and what to ignore.

References

Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.  (2012).  Pathways to Success: Integrating Learning with Life and Work to Increase National College Completion.  Washington, DC.