12 Tips for Success
As an Online Student

1) Understand the key difference between online and traditional classes
Traditional classes (in physical classrooms) are often based on a "learn by listening" model.  The teacher lectures, while the students listen, take notes, and repeat what the teacher has said on exams. The power structure is very much top-down. The teacher is the authority figure, and students are assumed, sometimes even expected, to be passive.  Online classes, on the other hand, are based on a "learn by doing" model.  Students participate much more actively in their learning experience through working in groups, discussing questions, solving problems, and  producing products (like reports, guides, desk aids) which will be useful to them beyond the end of the course. And the power structure is more equal. The teacher is still the subject-matter expert, but he or she participates on a much more equal footing in discussions. In short, you can’t sit on the sidelines in an online course. A tremendous amount of the learning in an online course occurs during discussions, and if you don’t participate in the discussions, your learning  will be diminished.

2) Read the Orientation Materials
Read, review, and frequently re-visit the course syllabus, calendar, and orientation materials. In a traditional, face-to-face class, we all have a pretty standard mental model of what’s going to be involved in completing a course. But online courses are a whole new species, with many individual variations, and the orientation materials are your best guide to what’s going on - what you’ll be expected to do, and when, and how often, and so on.

3) Familiarize yourself with the structure of the course
Take time at the beginning of the semester to explore all the elements of the course web site.  Click on the icons, find out where they lead, look at what’s there, read Help screens, and experiment with doing things. Once the pace of activity in the course picks up, you’ll be glad that you don’t have to waste time trying to find parts of the course or figure out how to do something.

4) Participate, participate, participate!
In traditional, face-to-face classes, the assumption is that all the expertise resides in the teacher. The teacher pours knowledge into the students, like water into empty glasses.  In online classes, the assumption is that everyone brings personal expertise to the class.  And as all of the personal knowledge and experience of the students gets shared in class discussions, everyone learns much more than they would if the teacher was the only one "talking." So it’s vitally important to participate in order to enrich your learning.  It’s also important to participate so that you don’t feel lost in cyberspace.

5) Log on to your course at least once every single day
Or at least 5-6 times per week. Because participants can log on and leave new messages around the clock, the landscape in an online course can change rapidly.  So logging on at least once a day every day will help you keep current with the changes.  You’ll also find, once you begin posting your own messages, that you’ll be eager to see how your classmates have reacted. Online courses have slow periods, it’s true, but during the fast periods, things can move amazingly fast.  If you let more than two days go by without logging on, you may find it difficult to catch up.

6) Speak up if you’re having trouble
Remember that your instructor and classmates can’t see the bewildered look on your face.  If you have questions or problems, you must tell someone. Don’t be embarrassed.  Online learning is a new experience for everyone, and the feeling that "we’re all in this together" leads to a great deal of tolerance and generosity among online students. If you don’t understand something, the chances are good that at least one other personal is having the same problem and will also benefit from the answer.

7) Share tips, ideas, and solutions
If you find an easier or quicker way to do something, if you discover a feature of the course software that you think is helpful, or if you know of internet resources related to the course, please share the wealth! The amount of expert knowledge that gets shared in these areas during an online course is truly amazing, and everyone benefits from it.

8) Work to consciously control your time and schedule
The flexibility of schedule is one of the greatest benefits possible with an online course. It can also be one of the worst problems.  When you don’t have to be in a certain classroom at a certain hour on certain days of the week, it can be tempting to let things slide.  But remember: Online learning allows you to shift the investment of your time, not escape it. An online course takes as many hours per week as a face-to-face course. You can choose when to spend your time, but not whether to spend it. Plan on investing an appropriate amount of time on your online course, and try to block out regular times in your schedule (preferably when you’ll be feeling fresh and energetic)  to work on it. Then keep your commitment to yourself and use those times only for studying.  Check the course calendar frequently for upcoming deadlines and try to pace yourself accordingly. It’s easier to fall behind in an online class, and it’s also harder to catch up.

9) Self-evaluate frequently
Re-read the course objectives and assessment standards and ask yourself how you are doing. Compare your accomplishments with the course calendar to see whether you’re on schedule.  If you have any uncertainty, open a dialogue with your instructor. More so than in a face-to-face class, feedback from the instructor is important, and a good instructor will give it frequently.  But if you want more, ask for it.

10) Maintain frequent contact with your instructor
The obvious way to do this is, of course, by frequent participation in the course. But your instructor will also benefit from private e-mail and other messages about aspects of your life that don’t come out in class.  If you’re having problems with you schedule, or are ill, or under stress, your instructor needs to know that.  If you’re unhappy in the class, or you love it, your instructor needs to know that also. Remember, your instructor works under the same limitations you do.  If you don’t log on for five days because you have an illness, the instructor may think you’re just goofing off unless you say otherwise.

11) Think before you hit the Post button
Communication in an online course is not only instant, it’s also rather final.  Don’t post a response to someone’s message in the heat of anger. You’ll regret it later - and still have to co-exist with that person for the rest of the course. Consider the clarity of your message also.  Have you said what you mean? Have you left out or misspelled a critical (and embarrassing) word? The great virtue of an online course is that you have the leisure to express your thoughts exactly right before having to share them with anyone. And be extremely careful with humor.  Online, it flops more often than not.

12) Be a proud advocate of online learning
You’re on an adventure, and you have every right to be proud of yourself! Tell everyone you know about your experiences as an online student.  Tell them what you like about it and how it fits your lifestyle.  You’ll find you have an immediate, and large, audience.  There is a tremendous amount of curiosity about online learning these days - and a tremendous amount of misunderstanding as well. The more clearly people understand what you’re doing, the more fully they’ll respect you for doing it.

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Copyright (c) Oakton Community College. Last updated 11/10/10.

Courseware created by Michael McNett