Online courses offer excellent opportunities for busy professionals to gain advanced training, additional certification and professional development. The online environment gives unprecedented anytime-anyplace access to exciting and stimulating learning that can tie in with your personal and professional goals.
1. Take full advantage of the online discussion forums.
It is extremely important to participate in online discussions forums. This gives you access to other students’ ideas, questions and comments.
2. Participate!
Contribute your ideas, perspectives and comments and read about those of your classmates. Your tutor is one source of information in your course—you can gain great insight from your peers and they can learn from you.
3. Take the program and yourself seriously.
Elicit the support of your colleagues, family and friends before you start your online course. This support system will help at times when you have to sit at your computer for hours at a stretch in the evenings and on weekends.
4. Make sure you understand the programme requirements.
The requirements for online courses are no less than that of any other quality course. Successful learners regard online learning as a convenient way to receive their education, not an easier way.
5. Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process.
The learning process requires you to make decisions based on facts as well as experience. Critical reflection is a key part of your learning.
6. Organize a private space where you can study.
This will help lend importance to what you are doing. Your own space where you can shut the door, leave papers everywhere, and work in peace is necessary.
7. Become a true advocate of online learning.
To be successful in this environment, you must believe in its potential to provide quality education which is equal to, if not better than the traditional face-to-face environment. In discussing the value of online learning, you will reinforce its merits for yourself.
8. Log on to your course every day.
Once you get into the online conferencing system, you will be eager to see who has commented on your postings and read the feedback of your tutor and peers. If you let too many days go by without logging on to your course discussion group, you will get behind and find it very difficult to catch up.
9. Be aware of your anonymity.
One of the biggest advantages of the online format is anonymity. There are no stereotypes, and you don’t have to be affected by body language. You can take all the time you need to think your ideas through and compose a response before posting your comments to your class.
10. Be polite and respectful.
Remember, you are dealing with real people so being polite and respectful is common sense and it is absolutely obligatory for a productive and supportive online environment. In a positive online environment, you feel valued by your tutor, by your classmates and your own work will have greater value.
The main advantage is that asynchronous online learning allows you to take high quality courses when location and scheduling make traditional weekly face to face classes unrealistic. The Virtual Classroom is open 24 hours a day so you can participate from anywhere in the world providing you have access to a computer and an internet connection. You can log on when it is convenient for you and enjoy access to course materials and discussions.
The discussion forums provide a facility where resources, teaching strategies and ideas can be shared for comment and feedback. They are a place for everyone to participate and to engage actively with the group. Every student’s ‘voice’ is heard through individual contributions and participation in the ongoing dialogue.
Let your voice be heard!
Dr Eileen C. Winter,
Eileen works as Director of Academic Programs at the Institute of Child Education and Psychology (ICEP) Europe, and is an internationally published author and speaker in the field of education.
Article adapted from University of Illinois online
I will miss the buzz and energy of a live classroom, but I am open to the suggestion that a similar stimulus could be created by close participation in an online course. In fact, I’m looking forward t
to “meeting” my virtual classmates!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the best, Alison Broder