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Online Learning Readiness Intro Page

Overview

Online learning can be a great learning experience, but it helps if you can monitor and self-regulate your learning. In an online or hybrid course, you may have a lot of communication with your instructors and peers through email and discussion forums. Your instructor may use Skype or video-conferencing tools, or you may go an entire semester without hearing your instructor's voice. That can be a strange experience for some people.

Here are some things you can do to help you succeed:

Structure Your Study Time: Since many assignments are online, due dates can seem less immediate. Your instructor may not be reminding you of them. Set a schedule for yourself. Be consistent about when you complete your readings, your online posts, and your assignments. Schedule a consistent study time every day for working on your assignments. Our recommendation would be to work 2-3 hours per day, 15 hours per week. Schedule at a time where you can work without distractions. This kind of scheduling can reintroduce some of the structure of a face-to-face classroom, and keep you on task. If your class time is interrupted, schedule a make-up time so you can remain on schedule. But be adaptable. If a schedule if unworkable one week, change it as much as necessary and return to your best schedule when the opportunity becomes available.
Monitor Your Learning: Keep a reflective journal or a collection of written notes to yourself about what is going well and what is not. Ask for help from the faculty member with things that are not going as well as you would like. Articulation of what you are learning is a first step in being able to explain it to others, and if you can explain what you are learning to others, you are probably doing well.
Have Patience with Yourself: Online learning can occasionally be frustrating, and not just because of the content. You're often on your own, without someone to ask for help. Don't panic. Read the assignment or instructions again. Write a note to yourself in your reflective journal and try to explain it to yourself. There are several options for additional help that can be accessed through the Help button at the bottom left of your screen. You might be able to resolve it by looking through Canvas Guides or Canvas Basics. If not, you can contact its-help@enc.edu or send a ticket to Instructure if it is after normal work hours. If you think it is an issue with your computer, contact the ITS Helpdesk. If you still need help, contact your instructor, but allow time for a response. Most instructors check their email at least once per day. Some instructors will have an online forum, chat room, or back-channel devoted to troubleshooting problems or providing help with assignments. Use it. When you contact your instructor, be respectful, proofread your questions, and give as much information as you were able to find about the problem. Your instructor will help you work through the issues.
Be Thorough in Discussions and Use Your Own Words: Discussion forums will probably be used in every class you take online. Be mindful of the forum directions. Your instructor is not just looking for a couple of sentences. They are looking for an in-depth response that shows an understanding of the reading or assignment for that week. Be able to summarize the reading's main points and respond to its implications in your own words. Consider how the issue under discussion relates to your personal experience, but examine your own beliefs in light of the new information from the course. What did you learn from this assignment or task?
Be Respectful of Others and Help Everyone Learn: Everyone in the class is trying to learn, so try to keep your discussions respectful. In an online environment, infrequently monitored by the instructor, it is very easy for discussions to descend into flame wars. Avoid personal attacks by being explicit and clear in your own language. You might use emoticons or emojis to clarify your mood (e.g. :-) or 🙂 ). Emoticons can take the place of body language in an online environment. If it feels like someone is baiting you, set it aside for a few hours. That should establish critical distance from the work, and keep your emotions under control. No matter how carefully you craft your position, they may dismiss it and resume the attack. If that happens, contact your professor and explain carefully and respectfully why you believe the other person's comment is inappropriate. Maintain a professional demeanor through all communications. They might have thought they were making a benign observation that unknowingly came across as mean-spirited. Your response may turn a possible conflict into a learning experience for both of you. In any case, be professional and avoid making the situation worse.