How to Succeed in an Online Course

Taking courses online can be a little like taking classes in a foreign country. Most of us are still learning the norms and expectations of the online environment. The links on the top explains how to make the most of your online opportunity, and how to make sure online learning is right for you. Even though the technology is wonderful and exciting, it can not be said that this environment is the right learning environment for every student. It works well for some students most of the time. It provides exciting opportunities for people who are constrained by time, place or other factors.

Most online courses at Valencia use a software application called WebCT, which utilizes a private bulletin board, chat rooms, online testing and other innovative features. WebCT will be an important source of course material, assignments and communication.

Communication

Traditional classroom learning relies on more than reading a text and attending lectures. Learning also takes place during discussion on course content, publicly during class, privately from instructor to student and student to student.

Discussions build and nurture learning communities, and generally in these discussions we experience the richness of learning. Discussion in an online course is at least as important as a traditional classroom, because the online class isn't in a face-to-face situation. Therefore, your online class discussions are an important component of your course.

WebCT provides communications environments that are both private and public.
Here you have the opportunity to:

• interact with others
• develop ideas
• pose questions

It is important to do more than just post your own ideas. You must read and respond to the postings of others. To understand these communication environments better, relate them to "real world" communication.

• if you sent a personal letter to someone, it would be private
• if you put a notice on a bulletin board, it would be public
• chats take place between two or more people at the same time

These same concepts apply to the online environment:

• mail is private.
• bulletin boards are public
• chats are public with talkers and listeners

Remember you won't have all those non-verbal cues you get in the physical classroom and neither will your instructor. Words on the screen help the instructor *see* you much more clearly. The teaching style used in online courses may be different from the traditional college model. What does this mean for you? Taking a class online won't be sitting quietly in the classroom; participation is essential for everyone involved.

Effective communication is critical to success. It's even more important in the online environment because your instructor can't see your frown, or hear the question in your voice. Here, you'll be responsible for:

• initiating more contact
• be direct, persistent and vocal when you don't understand something.
• communicate early.

Be sure and ask about anything and everything pertaining to course content, course procedure and evaluation.

Best Practices

Online courses are based on the premise that students learn best in a community. The instructor plays an important role, but this is a different role than most instructors play in the classroom. You'll see a shift in the way classes work. However, some things don't change: the practices of courtesy and respect that apply in the ordinary classroom also apply online, and require even more attention. Here are some guidelines:

• Participate actively
• Be persistent
• Share tips, helpful suggestions, and questions
• Think before you push the "Send" button
• Explain your ideas fully
• Remember there's a person on the other side
• Use appropriate courtesies
• Plagiarism
• Keep a calendar in view with course deadlines marked