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Is Online Learning for You?
Tips for Online Learning Success
Not sure about online learning? We can help. The following pointers will help you be successful and enjoy your Internet course. Keep in mind the three P’s of e-learning: participation, persistence and patience.
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Participation
- Participation plays an important role in an online class. You must be an active, involved, and independent learner. In addition to making initial contact with your professors the first week of class, participation will include:
- consistently contributing your questions and comments to weekly group discussion boards
- consulting your syllabus often to stay current on assignments and due dates
- You may also find an excellent resource in forming or visiting virtual study groups to support one another in class.
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Persistence
- Persistence is important for e-learners, too. Keep trying until you get the answers you need. Internet courses offer plenty of resources to help you. Your professor is the greatest of those resources; communicate with her or him often, especially with questions over the material covered in class. Here are a few other useful tips to keep in mind:
- Always use a reliable Internet connection. If problems arise, contact your professor immediately, then contact your Internet provider to get the issue resolved.
- Give yourself plenty of time to complete your weekly assignments and prepare for tests.
- Mark all your assignment and exam dates on your calendar, noting whether any of your exams require a proctor.
- Remember that exam proctors may not always be able to cater to your schedule, so be prepared to make arrangements in your work schedule well ahead of any proctored exam dates.
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Patience
- Patience will help you in e-learning, too. Online learning is unlike any other learning environment, so it will help you to set a positive standard for classroom interactions. Here are a few instances where it’s best to keep calm:
- When you haven’t heard back from your instructor - Like in any job, professors keep scheduled office hours and have various responsibilities beyond your class. They may not respond to your emails or post grades and assignments immediately, particularly on weekends and holidays.
- When you don’t get a direct answer to your question - You may have addressed an issue that pertains to the entire class, in which case the instructor will email the whole class or post the answer to your question on the class website for everyone to read.
- When you don’t seem to “get it” - Be patient with yourself, allowing extra time as needed to master any course content or any new technical skills that may be unfamiliar to you.
- When you’re tempted to argue - Be patient with others in the class, and be considerate in your comments and email. Remember that there is a person on the other side. It is alright to disagree, but it is not alright to be belligerent. The rules of etiquette apply in an online classroom.
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