{"id":5581,"date":"2017-02-06T10:45:50","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T16:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=5581"},"modified":"2017-02-06T10:45:11","modified_gmt":"2017-02-06T16:45:11","slug":"flexpath-coaches-support-students-to-the-finish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/flexpath-coaches-support-students-to-the-finish\/","title":{"rendered":"Coaches Support FlexPath Students to the Finish"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Independent, highly-motivated students thrive in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capella.edu\/capella-experience\/flexpath\/\">FlexPath<\/a>, Capella University\u2019s self-paced learning format. Even though the FlexPath option is designed for people who want to go at their own speed, that doesn\u2019t mean they go it alone. Capella provides plenty of support and assistance to FlexPath students, including a direct connection to a personal coach who helps navigate the system. \u201cIt\u2019s so different than traditional learning,\u201d says FlexPath coach Karla Barbee. \u201cBut for the right kind of person, it can be very exciting. The best part of my job is seeing people grow, succeed, and achieve their dream of getting their degree via FlexPath.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Barbee and three other FlexPath coaches\u2014Lindsay Gray, Matt Lee, and Kris Block\u2014recently sat down to explain how they work with students.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>What do FlexPath coaches do?<\/h4>\n<p>Block: \u201cWe help students navigate the FlexPath system and environment, which initially can be unfamiliar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lee: \u201cI\u2019d say we help learners overcome obstacles\u2014time-management issues, resource questions, even some personal matters\u2014that they\u2019re facing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>How do students connect with FlexPath coaches?<\/h4>\n<p>Barbee: \u201cDuring the enrollment process, students get an email that introduces us. We schedule a phone call to get to know them and ask questions to help set expectations for the path ahead:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What brought you to Capella?<\/li>\n<li>What are your goals?<\/li>\n<li>When do you want to finish?<\/li>\n<li>What does that realistically look like?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We talk about resources they can use: tutors, technical assistance, the Capella library. Our goal is to set them up for success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>What kinds of questions do students have about the FlexPath program?<\/h4>\n<p>Lee: \u201cAt the beginning, they often have questions about navigating the course room, and they\u2019re nervous about <a href=\"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/authentic-assessments-measure-skill-in-real-job-scenarios\/\">assessments<\/a>. It\u2019s our job to explain how assessments work and ease their worries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gray: \u201cStudents also want to know about the pace. To help them set their pace, we provide an average of how many courses a person can get through in a 12-week billing session. But it\u2019s completely up to the student to determine how quickly they do or don\u2019t get through the program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>What are the most important traits to succeeding in FlexPath?<\/h4>\n<p>Block: \u201cSuccessful students incorporate good time-management skills. They find ways to balance their work life with school life and family life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lee: \u201cI tell students not to overthink things. You get 3 attempts at every assessment, so when you feel you\u2019re ready, jump in. If you\u2019re not satisfied with your performance, you can ask for feedback from the instructor, do additional work, and try again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Barbee: \u201cTime management is important. People lose track of their time, and their priorities may shift from week to week. But with FlexPath you should commit to your deadlines and stick to them to stay on track.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>How often do you check in with students?<\/h4>\n<p>Block: \u201cIt depends how quickly they\u2019re progressing, and the student\u2019s preferences. With some students, we have daily interactions. One student I work with was having time-management issues, so we talked about it and developed a plan where he makes a schedule every day and sends it to me so he\u2019s accountable. He recently told me: \u2018This has been life-changing. I have been through 3 or 4 assessments in the last 3 weeks, and I\u2019m going to finish these courses on time!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>What\u2019s the most gratifying part about your job?<\/h4>\n<p>Barbee: \u201cStudents work with the same coach for all of FlexPath, so we often get to know them over a period of a year or longer. It\u2019s exciting to see them develop and achieve what they want to achieve. Our goal is to help students move forward. We\u2019re their partner through the entire journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Learn more about <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.capella.edu\/flexpath\/\"><em>FlexPath<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Capella, you\u2019re never alone on the road to your degree. In the FlexPath format, coaches offer assurance, advice, and assistance as they help students navigate their way to success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":5587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[73],"tags":[53,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5581"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5581"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5590,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5581\/revisions\/5590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}