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Six Sources of Influence 

An approach to empowering nontraditional students by incorporating the six sources of influence 

 

Desired Result

Create a culture where students are told and encouraged to use the VikingGo Mobile App to find what they need to effectively know how to use Canvas, allowing the student to have the tools they need to be successful.

 

Vital Behaviors

1. If DMC commits to promoting the VikingGo Mobile App students will know how to connect to Canvas preparing them for their classes.

2. If the adult student is familiar and comfortable with Canvas through the VikingGo Mobile App, it will lead to an improved online experience for the student.

3. If faculty include the VikingGo Mobile App in their syllabus, it will promote a consistent pattern of utilizing the modules.

 

Organization Influencers

  1. Faculty

  2. Advisors

  3. Enrollment Specialist

  4. Student Engagement Departments

  5. Student Government Association

 

Influencer Strategies - The Six Sources of Influence

1. Personal Motivation

Enhance the personal meaning and relevance of Canvas skills for students by:

  • Highlighting direct benefits: "Master these skills to save time on assignments"

  • Sharing success stories from former nontraditional students

  • Creating "quick win" moments in the microlearning modules that build confidence

  • Connecting Canvas proficiency to their career goals and personal aspirations

 

2. Personal Ability

Develop students' capabilities through:

  • Breaking down complex Canvas navigation into manageable microlearning segments

  • Creating guided practice opportunities with immediate feedback

  • Providing scaffolded learning experiences that gradually build competence

  • Offering troubleshooting guides for common challenges nontraditional students face

 

3. Social Motivation

Leverage social dynamics by:

  • Creating peer mentoring opportunities among nontraditional students

  • Showcasing testimonials from successful learners similar to them

  • Developing virtual learning communities within the VikingGo app

  • Celebrating and recognizing student achievements in mastering online tools

 

4. Social Ability

Facilitate help from others through:

  • Creating easily accessible student-to-student support forums

  • Establishing virtual office hours for technology assistance

  • Developing a peer tutorial system where experienced students can help newcomers

  • Creating collaborative problem-solving spaces within the Canvas environment

 

5. Structural Motivation

Implement rewards and accountability by:

  • Creating digital badges or micro-credentials for completing learning modules

  • Establishing progress tracking features in the VikingGo app

  • Providing personalized milestone celebrations

  • Creating a points system that acknowledges persistence and growth

 

6. Structural Ability

Modify the environment to enable success by:

  • Ensuring mobile-friendly design for anywhere, anytime learning

  • Creating offline-accessible resources for students with intermittent internet

  • Implementing auto-save features and simple navigation patterns

  • Providing technical requirement guides before courses begin

 

By integrating the six sources of influence with the COVA approach, creating a comprehensive strategy that addresses both the motivation and ability factors at personal, social, and structural levels. This holistic approach will better support nontraditional students in overcoming barriers and embracing online learning tools as empowering rather than intimidating.

 

References

 

Kotter, J. (2011, Mar 23). John Kotter: Resistance to change. [Video]. YouTube.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdroj6F3VlQ

 

Kotter, J. (2013, Aug 15). John Kotter: Leading change: establish a sense of urgency. [Video]. YouTube.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yfrj2Y9IlI

 

​Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading 

 

change. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

 

Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., Shimberg, A. (2020, Feb. 9). “Hot to 10X your influence.  

 

VitalSmarts, https://www.vitalsmarts.com/resource/10x

 

TED [TEDx Talks]. (2014, June 30). Tom Asacker: Why TED talks don’t change peoples lives. [video]. YouTube.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0jTZ-GP0N4

​

TED [TEDx Talks]. (2009, Sept 28). Simon Sinek: Start with why - - how great leaders inspire action. [video]. 

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

Outline for Publication

Title of proposed article-
How to prepare the adult learner for online classes
 

What is the topic of your article?
A Collaborative Approach to Mentoring the Adult Learner: I emphasize the importance of preparing the adult learner for online classes in order to ensure student success.


Where do you plan to submit?
American Journal of Distance Education - American Journal of Distance Education (AJDE) is an academic journal focusing on the uses of Internet in distance education (e-learning, distributed learning, asynchronous learning and blended learning).  Here are the guidelines. 


Edsurge - This publication site emphasizes technology in education, educational policy, teacher and student experiences, research, and innovation. Here are the guidelines for publishing. 


Campus Technology - provides an integrated channel of print, e-media, and conferences to efficiently reach top-level and managerial administrators, and tech-savvy faculty with buying authority in higher education institutions. Here are the guidelines for publishing. 


What is the connection to your innovation plan or initiative? 
The topic above relates to my innovation plan, which aims to create online and in person preparation for the adult learner to familiarize them with online environment. These tutorials will empower our students to be prepared for online courses before classes begin. We aim to cultivate a culture of lifelong learning among our students, which we plan to achieve through preparation to prepare them before the semester starts. I intend to discuss how empowering the student will give them the confidence they need to be successful in the classroom.

How can this information help others?
An article becomes a living resource that continues helping educators long after publication, especially as more institutions adopt hybrid and online learning models. It fills the gap between academic research and classroom application - exactly what busy educators need most.
 

For Instructors:

  • Reduces the amount of time they need to help students understand online tools

  • Builds confidence through step-by-step implementation guides

  • Prevents common pitfalls by sharing lessons learned from experienced practitioners

 

For Academic Planners/Onboarding Professionals:

  • Streamlines training processes with ready-to-use resources they can share with faculty

  • Provides evidence-based justification for digital learning initiatives to administrators

  • Offers scalable solutions that work across different departments and course types

​

Lesson learned or hoped to learn? 
I've learned that COVA choice, ownership, voice, and agency principles require a foundation of digital confidence. My objective is to eliminate technical barriers so students can focus energy on demonstrating content mastery through meaningful choices. Beyond Canvas navigation, students need tutorials on essential online course tasks like uploading documents and participating in discussion boards (Zweig et al., 2021). Levy (2017) noted that community colleges must prioritize student success in online learning by improving accessibility, enhancing teaching methods, maintaining strong faculty engagement, and expanding support systems for both students and instructors

What digital resources will be included in your article? Briefly describe.
In my article, I will reference Canvas, the college's learning management system. The article will enforce the need for an orientation to guide them through the various aspects of Canvas.

  • Google Chrome

  • Lockdown Browser used for exams and quizzes

  • Microsoft Teams

 

Think of your audience, digital presence, and the message you hope to communicate.
My audience consists of students, faculty and staff who are interested in preparing students for online courses. I want this to serve as a hub for faculty and staff seeking inspiration and guidance for their students. Faculty need practical, evidence-based strategies they can immediately implement, and students need clear guidance on transitioning from traditional to online learning environments.


References:

 

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). Choice, ownership, and voice through

authentic learning [eBook]. Creative Commons License.

 

Levy, D. (2017). Online, blended and technology-enhanced learning: Tools to facilitate

community college student success in the digitally-driven workplace. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 10(4), 255–262.

 

Zweig, J., Hanita, M., Stafford, E., & Khanani, N. (2021). Impact of an orientation on online

students' course outcomes. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 11(1), 64-77. https://doi.org/10.5590/JERAP.2021.11.1.05

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