Characteristics of Successful Online Learners
Beyond motivation and self-discipline, successful online learners:
- Actively participate in class discussions.
Taking part in the interchange of thoughts and ideas through class discussions leads to a deeper understanding of the topic. - Take advantage of learning any time and anywhere.
Learners access their courses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at home or away. They work on their course when they can give their full concentration to it. - Ask questions.
They post questions to their facilitator and others in the course via class discussion forums or email. - Work at their own pace.
Some modules may take some students longer than others (others may take less time). Because there is no rigid pacing as required in a classroom, successful online learners take the extra time they need to absorb material before moving on. - Are adventuresome.
The course material provided on the Web is just the beginning. The advantage of the medium is the window it provides to a wide variety of electronic libraries and other interesting places to visit that give new perspectives or updates on the course material. - Understand the power of their computer.
In addition to the Web resources, online students know how to manipulate text, cut and paste citations, e-mail, and chat. - Start early.
They don't wait a few days before they get started. They login right away, get an overview of the course and the workload, plan their weeks, and surf around to see what resources are available (support, tutorials, etc.). - Keep an informal and clear writing style and give correspondents the benefit of the doubt.
When online communications seem unclear, successful online learners ask for clarification and always assume the best intentions. Sometimes it takes patience, courtesy, and kindness to be able to communicate through the written word. - Submit work on time.
Successful online learners use course tools such as the Assignment Checklist to help keep them on top of due dates.