You may be one of the increasing number of students who is pursuing a college degree online. If so, follow these tips to help you be a successful online learner.
1. Do not presume. Many students assume that online classes require less work and are easier than traditional classes. In reality, online classes are designed to be just as rigorous and demanding as traditional courses. Be prepared to do a minimum of six hours of work a week in an online course - and that's a modest estimate. Some weeks and some entire classes will require far more than that, especially during the weeks of finals and midterms.
2. Pay attention to the course learning objectives. Every course has learning objectives. Don’t ignore these objectives. Course objectives are carefully crafted and they are the foundations around which a well-designed course is built. Lectures, activities, written assignments, discussion boards, and tests - in fact, everything in a course-flow from the objectives. If you understand the course objectives, you will understand what is expected of you in all aspects of the class and will understand the criteria upon which your grades will be based.
3. Read and practice everything. Go through every screen in a course, not just the graded assignments. Don’t run through a course skipping videos, animations, and ungraded self-assessment activities. Your instructor designed the course to help you achieve its learning objectives. Even if something doesn’t have a grade attached to it, know that it is there to provide supplemental learning opportunities to better prepare you for graded assignments and exams.
1. Do not presume. Many students assume that online classes require less work and are easier than traditional classes. In reality, online classes are designed to be just as rigorous and demanding as traditional courses. Be prepared to do a minimum of six hours of work a week in an online course - and that's a modest estimate. Some weeks and some entire classes will require far more than that, especially during the weeks of finals and midterms.
2. Pay attention to the course learning objectives. Every course has learning objectives. Don’t ignore these objectives. Course objectives are carefully crafted and they are the foundations around which a well-designed course is built. Lectures, activities, written assignments, discussion boards, and tests - in fact, everything in a course-flow from the objectives. If you understand the course objectives, you will understand what is expected of you in all aspects of the class and will understand the criteria upon which your grades will be based.
3. Read and practice everything. Go through every screen in a course, not just the graded assignments. Don’t run through a course skipping videos, animations, and ungraded self-assessment activities. Your instructor designed the course to help you achieve its learning objectives. Even if something doesn’t have a grade attached to it, know that it is there to provide supplemental learning opportunities to better prepare you for graded assignments and exams.
4. Be sure you have the required software and hardware. These requirements are usually specified somewhere in the course-usually in the syllabus or course introduction section. You may not be able to turn in papers, view videos, or participate in groups if you don’t have the proper technology. Making sure that you have the proper Internet connection, spyware, and software programs installed is essential to your online learning success. Don’t let a piece of software or hardware prevent you from achieving learning objectives.
5. Be open to new ways of learning. Students learn in different ways, and instructors often use a variety of strategies to appeal to a wide variety of learning styles. Give animations, videos, and audio files a try, even if they seem different from what you’re used to. Well-designed courses use technology to enhance learning, so be open to it.
6. Be comfortable communicating through text. Most communication in an online course occurs through the written word. Discussion board posts, written assignments, and email are all common modes of communication in online courses. This is different from traditional classes, where a lot of communication is oral. Be prepared to read and write a lot in online courses.
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