 Tips for
Succeeding in an Online Course
Define your goals.
Ask yourself "What is my goal in taking this course?" If you
define your goals and objectives up front, you will already know where you
are heading and what it will take to get there.
Understand how you'll be evaluated.
Know how your performance in the course will be evaluated. This
knowledge will give you a greater understanding of what’s expected of
you.
Plan for success.
Plan ahead. Make sure that you have read the course syllabus and that
you understand what is required and when assignments are due. Use the
calendar and task scheduler in Blackboard so you can easily recall
important dates, times, locations, and tasks.
Use e-mail effectively.
Make sure you have provided your instructor with a valid e-mail
address so that he or she is able to contact you at the start of the
course and throughout the semester. Get in the habit of checking your
e-mail at least daily, if not more frequently.
Seek the support of others.
Seek support from family, friends, colleagues, and other students.
Support from those closest to you is essential to your success as an
online student.
Participate fully.
As in traditional courses, it is important to participate in online
class activities and discussions. Communication with your instructor and
peers can provide great insight into the subject you are studying and
provide a more fulfilling educational experience.
Create some personal space.
It is important that you have a quiet place that you can go to study.
If you're taking an online course, your desk serves as the classroom. A
private, personal space gives you a place where you can shut the door,
study, and work in a peaceful, focused manner.
Log on frequently.
It is important that you log on to your online course each day.
Logging on is often the only way to find out what’s happening in the
course and to stay informed of any last-minute changes. If you ignore this
step to success, you will fall behind.
Become a master of politeness and
respect.
Abide by the Golden Rule and treat others how you would want to be
treated. Just because you are shielded by a computer and miles of phone
line doesn’t give you a license to put down someone else's ideas, no
matter how outrageous they might seem. Be polite and respectful towards
others, as you would in a traditional course.
Speak up.
If you are having difficulties in the course, speak up. The professor
is not able to see your hand raised or the blank expression on your face.
The only way she will know that you are having problems is if you discuss
those problems with her. Besides, you never know if other students are
also having the same difficulties; speaking up will enable your professor
to clarify the problems not only for you, but for the other students as
well.
Apply what you learn.
Look for opportunities to apply what you have learned in class to your
everyday life. Doing so will help you remember the material and recall it
more readily when taking tests or participating with online discussions
with other students.
Be on time.
Hand in all projects and assignments on time. The instructor cannot
evaluate your progress in the course if he or she does not have anything
to base that evaluation on.
Study schedule
Place yourself on a study schedule and stick to it. Doing so will help
you stay organized and help to ensure that you have read the material and
completed the assignments.
Put in the time
Plan on spending 5-10 hours a week studying for each online course.
More Information about Succeeding in an
Online Course What
Makes a Successful Online Student?
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