Instructify

Taking college courses online or distance learning has been growing in popularity over the last few years. It is an experience that allows students much more flexibility than traditional learning on campus. A student in Boston can take a course in California which opens up the options available to students all over the world. However, this system is not without its own issues. Here are a few tips to consider that will help you improve your online learning experience:

1. Communication is crucial. Since you won’t be attending a traditional class where you can see the faces of your classmates and professor you need to open up the lines of communication through email right away. Introduce yourself to your instructor and let him or her know your educational background and explain why you’re taking their course. Get to know a few classmates in emails as well. It makes your educational experience that much smoother when you can bounce questions and concerns off your fellow classmates.

2. Class participation equals success. Participating in discussion forums is the equivalent to raising your hand in class and throwing your two cents in. Instructors will measure students’ grades in large part on how much they add to the class through these discussion boards. Make sure your voice is being heard.

3. Establish a routine. While your class will probably not have a regular meeting time, your work will be due once a week on an established day at the beginning of the semester. This means you’ll have to call on strict discipline to avoid having your work pile up all week. Rushing through your work at the last minute will result in poor performance. -HEATHER JOHNSON

This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of teacher certification. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

Related Stuff:

Instructifeature: Using Online Tools for Student Research

Instructifeature: How to Stimulate Class Discussion Using Discussion Forums

Photo credit: minifig on flickr