How to be a Successful Online College Student
Tips for Making Distance Education Work for the Student
Sep 25, 2009
Traditionally, college and university degrees and courses required being in a bricks and mortar, on-campus facility. Nowadays, however, one can obtain a degree with minimal interaction in a classroom environment. Some degrees are exclusively completed with online, asynchronous coursework and lesson deliver.y The student never meets the instructor or classmates in real life.
Some online programs are hybrid, meaning while most of the college work is done either traditional or online medium, the rest of the course work is the opposite. Some hybrid courses are mainly online instruction-based, where the students only have a few on-campus meeting sessions. Lectures and coursework are both listened to and submitted electronically. Other hybrid courses are mostly traditional coursework, where papers are printed out and submitted, but a few assignments and lectures may be delivered online for students.
In the age of these online and hybrid courses, it is necessary to see what makes online and distance education each its own unique endeavor. There are unique advantages, disadvantageous, problems solved and problems gained by online education.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning
One advantage of online courses is the ability to work, no matter what time of day or night, that the student is ready to learn. The instructor and college offering the program may have deadlines for completion of material, but the student can do the work at his or her preferred speed and at his or her convenience.
Likewise, online learning can minimize commute times and keep students in the workplace and/or at home with children while learning. It reduces the restrictions on who can afford the time commit to attend college.
Disadvantages could include the need for a computer and reliable Internet connection. Likewise, some employers still have reluctance to accept degrees and courses completed online, thinking that the on-campus interaction is integral part to the learning process and maintains the integrity of the grades received. Online degree programs are less likely to be fully covered by scholarship and grant money. Also, online courses require self-discipline and a strong desire to understand not just the course material but the new platform for learning.
How to Become a Successful Distance Education Student
With the advantages and disadvantages of online education in mind, one can discern the need for certain personality traits and learning approaches in order to succeed in the distance education course or degree program. These traits and approaches involve time management, computer, and critical thinking skills. The willingness to ask questions and take advantage of on-campus facilities to succeed also hold true. The ability to articulate thoughts and synthesize text and course work independently is key.
That said, when it comes to time management, one must realize that online courses often require as much, if not, more time each week to do the work well and with the ability to succeed. It is imperative to fully understand the rules and assignments listed on the course syllabus. It is the student's responsibility to clear up ambiguities and alert the instructor to any difficulties with drafts, comprehension, and/or deadlines for submitting homework and essays.
Just with course material ambiguity, there may also be other sources of confusion, frustration, or difficulty. If material in the text and on the course webspace make little sense, it is important to see about a tutor, or if there are additional resources in the library to supplement the course material. If there are problems with the online platform or connecting to the online course webpage, the student must find the on-campus distance learning office or contact the help office for the online higher education institution.
Checking the likelihood of credit transfer or scholarships available, online students would be best suited to discuss online learning and its acceptance by traditional institutions and employers before beginning a program or enrolling in a course. If possible, it may be best to try one online course the first semester rather than making the switch from traditional to exclusively online learning, unless family or illness require the rapid switchover. This way, one acclimates to the format and knows whether or not this is going to fit the needs, desires, and requirements the student may have. Ultimately, there are other benefits that make this switch to online/distance education great, including all the self-directed learning it fosters, independence it forces, and self-discipline it requires.
