The COPE Method

 I recently came across an article from Faculty Focus titled The COPE Method for Assisting Struggling Students by Dr. Jaime Davis and Maria Lyon.

The article explained a new-to-me concept of how to help struggling students using the following steps:

Connect: Link current challenges to future success. 

Obstacles: Identify the main hurdles the student faces. 

Plan: Develop a concrete plan of action to address obstacles. 

Expectations: Set clear class and personal expectations. 

Thinking back to my days as a student in the Level 1 Electrical program at Vancouver Island University, I can see where this system would have helped me, and I am thankful I had a great instructor named Samuel who, whether he knew it or not, was using a similar support system.

The challenges I faced in that first year of schooling were plentiful. It was my first time being in a classroom in many years. It's like I forgot how to study, how to work in a classroom setting and how to succeed. I knew that I needed to buckle down and establish good study habits if I stood a chance to connect those challenges to future success.

I certainly faced some obstacles in that first year. For one, I still held down a part-time job to pay my bills while in school. I didn't see work itself as an obstacle per se, but it definitely put me at a disadvantage to other students who still lived at home with parents and could focus 100% of their time on schooling. My instructor had a plan for people like me, and gave us Fridays off, so I was able to work on Friday as well as the weekend in order to balance it all. My employer was fine with that schedule, and suddenly it felt like that obstacle was cleared.

I always set high expectations for myself, but the Industry Training Authority set a minimum of 70% to pass the Level 1 course. I decided to set my sites on a minimum of 80% grade to give myself some breathing room. How was I going to do this? Back to the plan. 

I talked to my instructor about how to tackle the course material. He pointed me online. There were vast resources on YouTube to help with the math and theory, as well as a whole online learning platform supported by VIU called D2L. Samuel recommended I make use of the quizzes with unlimited attempts to really hammer home the concepts. He stressed the importance of having a quiet, comfortable place to study, which prompted me to explore the campus library (I lived in a noisy apartment building at the time). The plan came together and with lots of work and late nights at the library, I passed with flying colours.

Looking back now, I realize how taking these steps can help a struggling student. It's important to look at one's situation from a broader scope can help address the challenges and obstacles one faces, set clear goals and then figure out a plan to connect to future success. 

The article puts a neat label on organizing these steps, and I for one will be using COPE in my future as an instructor. I recommend checking it out!

Resources

The COPE Method for Assisting Struggling Students - Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning