Technical University Delft, the Netherlands, Tips That Will Make Your Online Learning Experience a Successful One, January 2024
Pay attention to the course learning objectives
Every course has stated learning objectives. Please don’t ignore these objectives since they are carefully crafted and form the foundations for building well-designed courses. Lectures, activities, written assignments, discussion boards and tests – everything in a course – flow from the course objectives. By understanding them, you will appreciate what is expected of you in all aspects of the class and will understand the criteria upon which your grades will be based.
Read and practice everything
Go through every screen in a course, not just the graded assignments. Don’t run through a course skipping videos, animations and ungraded self-assessment activities. Your instructors have designed the course to help you achieve its learning objectives. Even if something doesn’t have a grade attached to it, you can be sure that it is there to provide supplemental learning opportunities to better prepare you for graded assignments and exams.
Ask questions
Instructors want to help; they want students to be successful and expect students to ask questions. The most frequently heard complaint of course instructors about online students is: ‘Why don’t they ask?’ The virtual space in online learning can be a barrier if you let it get in the way. If you have a question about course content or need clarification on a difficult concept – ask. And when you do ask a question, make it count. Before you post a question, know what you are requesting and why. Be clear and concise in your communication. You’ll be glad you asked!
Make connections with fellow students.
Given all the social tools and applications available today, connecting with online classmates and building a learning community is easier than you might think. Reach out to an individual student, send an email to ask a question, create a Facebook group for your class, or even create a small study group. In the course, your instructor and staff will provide you with all the tools you need to make those valuable connections.
Collaborate
You’ll be collaborating with your classmates for group projects and assignments. Numerous online courses involve some form of interaction among students, yet frequently, students question the value of group work, especially in online courses.
Developing good collaboration skills will be an asset beyond the online classroom. Regardless of sector, employers seek team players who can communicate across digital platforms with co-workers or clients on projects and research. Given the global and digital nature of the world today, digital collaboration is an essential skill for all.
Be able to meet the minimum requirements for the program
The requirements for online education are no less than those of any other quality educational program. The successful student will view online as a convenient way to receive their education – not an easier way.
Accept critical thinking and decision-making as part of the learning process.
The learning process requires the student to decide based on facts and experience. Assimilating information and executing the right decisions requires critical thought – case analysis does this very effectively.
Be able to think ideas through before responding.
Meaningful, quality input into the virtual classroom is essential to the learning process. Time is given in the process to allow for the careful consideration of responses. The testing and challenging of ideas are encouraged; you may not always be correct, but be prepared to participate fully and accept a challenge.
