Online Learning
Tips for Succeeding with Online Courses
Participate!
In the online environment, it's not enough to show up! Instructors need
to hear a student's voice to feel his or her presence, and students'
comments add to the information, the shared learning, and the sense
of community in each class. Frequent participation in online conversations,
whether live or threaded, also keeps students from feeling isolated
and provides access to other students who are taking the same course
at the same time. Instructors are not the only source of information
in the course—students can gain great insight from their peers.
Work on reading and writing skills.
Students won't have all those non-verbal cues that they get in the physical
classroom and neither will their instructor. Almost all the course information
will come in the form of words. Words on the screen help the instructor
"see" students much more clearly. Participation is even more
essential than in a traditional classroom and occurs in the form of
written comments, assignments, and conversation. Frequent interaction
also enriches the experience for everyone—emulating the give and
take of a traditional class.
Log on to the course every single day.
Some schools have found that daily contact, or a minimum of 5-6 days
a week, is the best indicator of a successful student. Once students
get into the online conferencing system, they will be eager to see who
has commented on their postings and read the feedback of their instructor
and peers. Students will also be curious to see who has posted something
new that they can comment on. Letting too many days go by without logging
on to the course discussion group or checking email, will cause students
to fall behind—and they may find it very difficult to catch up.
Read other tips for success in online learning.
