Success As An Online Learner

What Does It Take to Succeed As An Online Learner?

As web-based material is increasingly integrated into the primary, secondary, and higher education curriculum, Online Learning has become more and more attractive to students of all ages.  Yet it is important for the new online learner to recognize from the start the differences between an online class and a "live" classroom on a campus such as Saddleback College.

Here are a few notes and comments for the new online learner concerning my online history classes, followed by links to very useful online introductions to technical and pedagogical considerations that I urge all students in my online classes to review before our online class begins.

  • Coursework  My online classes involve as much, if not more homework than my standard "face-to-face" classes, but this does not take into account the savings in time, stress, and general inconvenience when commuting to and from the Saddleback campus. 
  • Weekly contact is essential and required for my online classes, as the course Discussion Board in the class Blackboard site is a major focal point of the course.  Students should consult the course Blackboard site frequently – at least three times per week during the regular semester – to observe and participate in the course Discussion Boards and consult posted course readings, audio files, and documentaries.
    • Students are advised to select the "Subscribe" option within each Discussion Board Forum.  With this option activated you receive an email whenever another student has posted a comment within an active Discussion Board Forum.  Look for this icon to Subscribe:

           

  • Time  All of my history classes are transferable to the University of California and the California State University system, and as 3-unit courses require 6-9 hours of preparation apart from the 3 hours reserved for in-class lecture.  Therefore as online classes they require between 9-12 hours of work per 16-week semester, depending upon the individual's reading, analytical, and writing skills.  For 8-week summer sessions, just double the weekly time requirement.
  • Assessment  There are no online quizzes or "objective" exams, as all assignments to be assessed are:
    • Short (1-2 page) typed summaries and (2-4 page) essays responding to the readings, documentaries, and lectures
    • Discussion Board postings
    • PowerPoint summaries of course materials
    • Extra credit field trips, live and "virtual"

My online courses utilize the Blackboard Course Management System, so it is very important that the successful online learner at Saddleback College understand how this systems works, and have the necessary skills for using personal computers for online classes. 

The following online tutorials offer all students very useful information on the computing skills necessary to be successful online learners:

Each student registered in my online courses should review these web sites before the beginning of the term, so that we can all get the most out of this exciting new learning experience!

 
 

 
 

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