How to become a successful online learner

The number of online learners in the United States is approximately 4 million. Online students now are estimated to represent around 17 percent (and rising!) of all college students (see http://www.sloan-c-org). With a little organization, practice and discipline, online learning is for everyone. Whether you are a first time online learner, or have taken several online courses, the tips below will help you get the most out of your online learning experience.

Assess Your Readiness
There are many tools that are available for you to assess your readiness for college and learning online. CSU-Global Campus offers students the opportunity to take the College Student Inventory, an online self-assessment specially designed for adult learners to help determine how you learn best, what student services you may want to access, and any areas in which you may want to seek support including study skills, technology skills and academic skills. You will receive your report directly, as well as a Success Advisor, who is available to discuss your results with you, answer questions and direct you to student services.

Time Management 101: Stay on Schedule and “Attend” Class Regularly
Regular “attendance” in your online courses should be part of your time management schedule. Some students find that setting aside a regular time every day to login to courses and check the discussions, check email, post, and read content is a very effective way to stay engaged. We understand that adult learners juggle many different but all important responsibilities. Avoiding procrastination and managing your time are your critical keys to success. Our courses are configured to consume about 12-20 hours on average per week per class. In some weeks, you may only have reading to accomplish but in other weeks you may have readings, assignments, and discussion questions to respond to, so it is important to be aware of what is due each week and what will be due in upcoming weeks. This is where time management comes into play.
No specific formula exists for good “time management.” An individual time management plan will depend on your own personal circumstances; however, the guidelines below can help you formulate your plan.

• Set goals for what you would like to accomplish each week that include time for reading and studying, relaxation time, and work time. If you find that you are busy every moment each day, you are over-committed and need to determine what the least important activity is and remove it from your schedule.
• Use a single calendar. Many times, students separate their personal calendar from their work and school calendars. Keeping a single calendar with all of your personal, professional and academic commitments in one place can be an effective way to keep a “birds-eye” view of your overall commitments, and help you to balance those commitments with your available time.
• Print out the Course Schedule from each online course and keep copies with you at work, home, and in your car so that you will always know what module you are on and what assignments are and when they are due.
• Don’t spread yourself too thin. While you are in school, you may need to say “no” sometimes.

Stay in Close Contact with Your Instructor
In order to be successful in the online learning environment, you must communicate with your instructors. Our instructors are very approachable and available. Always go to your instructor first to address scheduling issues, assignment questions, and any problems with your course. Faculty are available to answer questions or concerns students have at any time, including weekends, evening and other nontraditional school times. Usually, all questions are responded to within 24 hours. And, if you have any concerns or conflicts with scheduled meeting times, assignment deadlines etc., please contact your instructor so that he or she can work with you to make any necessary adjustments – your success is as important to us as it is to you! If your instructor is unaware of any special circumstances, then he or she can’t help.

Brush up on your “Online Communication” Skills
In the online course environment, most communication and the completion of assignments requires writing. Not everyone is born a natural writer, and in fact, most of us need to work at it. Practice and attention to detail are ways that you can improve your writing skills. Good writing skills take practice. In general, good writing has the following qualities:

• Correct spelling. Take advantage of spell check!
• Proper grammar and punctuation. If you aren’t strong on your grammar and punctuation skills, you can always use Word’s grammar-checker to help you recognize and correct errors as you are writing.
• Appropriate word choice. Avoid inserting “big” words if you aren’t completely sure of the meaning of the word. When selecting a word from a Thesaurus, be sure to see the word in the context of a sentence before selecting it. Synonyms aren’t necessarily true synonyms in different contexts.
• Logical organization. Use an outline or even a mind-map (graphical illustration of concepts) to organize your thoughts into a logical sequence for your paper. Then, write the text within the sequence you have identified. This strategy will help with planning a paper, organizing your thoughts, selecting the right research, and creating a logical organization and flow for the paper.

Discussion boards are the center of formal group communication in the classroom. Unless the title of the forum is something like “Internet Café,” assume that your writing should be correct, formal and appropriate. Discussion participation is graded according to the rubric included in the course syllabus, and you should become familiar with the rubric to understand the expectations and guidelines for discussions.