I was 18 when I took my first online class. Now, here I am, 19
years later, and I’m still taking online classes! Over
these 19 years, I’ve accumulated about 100 credit hours outside the classroom.
The odd thing is these 100 hours were spread over 2 community colleges, 3
universities (USA & UK), and 3 seminaries. Each situation had its challenges
and no two institutions were the same. I’ve had a lot of bad grades and a lot
of good ones too. Every class was a learning experience on how to do the next one better.
As our situation
demands, many of us are moving to online learning, some for the first time.
Online education is remarkably different from traditional courses. In fact, it has little to do with the
classroom. While online courses have their limitations, they also have massive opportunities
that the classroom does not afford. Don't look at this time of isolation as a step away from
the classroom but a step into integrating your education more fully with your
life. Embrace it. Might as well. But remember that online classes are different.
Some aptitudes and temperaments will suffer in the online format, while others will
thrive. If you are unwilling to change your personal style of learning, you may
find that an “A” student in the classroom becomes a “C” student online. However,
you might also find that a “C” student in the classroom can become the “A”
student online. Over these years, I've learned a few things that I'd like to
pass on to you. Here are 5 things that have made my online journey a success.
1. Be a self-motivator:
There is no teacher standing upfront making sure you pay attention. Plan your
semester. Plan your week. Plan your day. Be intentional about everything. Learn
your personal patterns and what fits your family's situation best. Don’t put off
stuff to the next day. If possible, assign yourself an allotted time each day to work on every class. Don’t procrastinate. All-nighters all alone banging
out papers are miserable when you have to work, care for the kids, or just function
the next morning. Try to get the syllabus early, read every word multiple times,
and make notes. Checklists are your friends. I set aside Sunday night to plan
the week. So, when I start my daily work, I have a short checklist of what I
need to get done for that day. In this way, I normally need 5 hours a week for
a 3-hour course.
2.
Learn the
platform: There are many platforms out there (Moodle, Blackboard, eLearn,
etc.) and all of them are different. Also, every school sets up their platforms a
little differently–it can be
confusing. After you get your schedule set and learn the syllabus, get to know that platform. I expect to
spend 1-2 hours learning the platform and how it is set up, before the first day of class. Click all the tabs,
click the tabs inside the tabs. If you have a question, check YouTube.
3.
Get the
right tools: Make sure your computer is up to date with plenty of memory and download any helpful programs or apps for your course. I use Grammarly,
Logos, Kindle, Zoom, and, of course, everything in the basic Office
365 package. You’ll need to talk with your instructor to see if you should buy
any field-specific programs. Always look for discounts. I called Logos.com and
was offered a nice deal, but don’t buy anything that you can get for free
through your institution or platform. For taking notes, I use medium-sized notebooks, which I've found to be the quickest way of taking notes and the most efficient method to study for exams (but maybe I’m just old-school). I use good pins
and keep a small ruler on hand. Also, you might need a good place to organize your
workspace. If you have an office, great. But also, a nicely divided backpack
can go a long way to keeping your workspace easy to set up, if you don’t always
work at the same desk. You might also need a printer, audio equipment, who
knows what?, check the syllabus and talk with your instruction.
4.
Make sure
you have a support group: It's easy for those in your life to not take
your education seriously when it's hidden online. There are no football
games or cafeterias. You might even find it hard to think of yourself as a
student. But, alas, you are. It's important to talk to your family or
roommates about your schedule and goals. Ask for their input and listen to what
they have to say. Talk to real live people about what you're learning. Get a
friend to meet (possibly, online) once a week to talk about what you are
both learning. Don’t dump all your trivial conversations on your spouse
or roommates. They love you but when you keep interjecting Pre-Renaissance literary
ideas into the conversation, it gets really annoying! My wife taught me that
one.
5.
Know your
limitations: You only have so much time, energy, and money. No one class is
worth damaging a valued relationship. Don’t be afraid to drop a class or put it
off till next year. Trust me. With online classes, you can come back to it later. I’m currently finishing up a degree that I withdrew from in 2013. At
that time, my first child was just born, we had little money, and less time to
spare. Unfortunately, many universities are using online education as a cash
cow. The education is poor and the price is high. Avoid these like a cough on a
bus. There are good universities with poor online programs and small schools
with great online classes. So, be careful and don’t get stuck paying what you can’t afford for an
education you won’t get. If your situation changes (sickness, move, pregnancy, marriage,
crisis), write to your instructor ASAP and tell them what's happening. There's a
lot that can be done to adjust your workload if you let the teacher know in time. I
wrote one of those emails last Saturday.
These 5 things will get you off
to a good start. Know that you are not alone; there are zillions
of us online these days. It will be difficult and there will be days when it
all falls apart. That’s OK. What matters is what you do the next day.
-Robert
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