1. Introduction To Online Learning Prince George’s Community College January 2002

2. What is Online Learning? n Your computer becomes your classroom n Interact with fellow students and your instructor through email and Blackboard n Flexible, convenient…NOT EASIER!!!!! n Requires a minimum of 6-9 hours/week n Includes discussions, assignments, exams … and FIRM deadlines

3. Who Should Take An Online Course? n Successful online students have both: –Technology Skills – “Student” Skills

4. Required Technology –Hardware: Pentium class computer n at least 32 MB RAM n a 28.8 modem –An Internet Service Provider –Your own email account

5. Technology Skills n To be a successful distance learning student and minimize frustration, you should have Basic Computer Skills and be able to: –Type (keyboarding skills) –Use a mouse –Cut, Copy and Paste text –Use email –Attach a file to your email

6. Technology Skills n Since online courses depend on being able to navigate using the Internet, you should have Basic Internet Skills and be able to: –Connect to the Internet –Start your Internet browser –Point your browser at a specific URL (web address) –Use a search engine

7. Technology Skills n Want to know more? Take the technical skills Self-Assessment at http://www.marylandonline.org/prospective_students /tech_skill_asses.php

8. “Student Skills” - Questions To Ask n “Is Distance Learning Right For Me?” –Read the information and take the brief self- assessment provided at http://www.pgcconline.com/FAQsRightForMe.htm –Based on your results, consider carefully whether a distance learning course will be a good choice for you.

9. “Student Skills” - Questions To Ask n What grades do you typically earn? –Not surprisingly, students who typically do well in an on-campus class also do well in a distance learning class. If you usually do well in your studies (C grade or, hopefully, better), you will probably do well in a distance class. If you often earn a D or F grade, you will not find distance courses easier.

10. “Student Skills” - Questions To Ask n Do you understand and remember what you read? –Most online courses are heavily text-based. You may be assigned a great deal of reading from your textbook, the course web page and other sources. If you are a very slow reader or have difficulty reading and remembering what you read, you may have more difficulty in being successful in your online course.

11. “Student Skills” - Questions To Ask n How much time do you have to devote to this class? – –In general, the college recommends that for each class hour (45 hours) there should be 2 hours per week of homework. With this guide in mind, you must study between 2-3 hours per week for each credit hour -- or approximately 6-9 hours each week. – –You must have time -- or make time -- for this class. Distance learning allows you to study at a time that is convenient for you (midnight, early morning, on the weekends), but you must have time to do the significant studying required to be successful.

12. “Student Skills” - Questions To Ask n Do you meet deadlines? –Students sometimes think that a distance learning course will be “self-paced” … that students can set their own deadlines as long as the course requirements (assignments, tests, projects, papers, etc.) are completed by the end date of the class. In fact, most distance learning courses have firm deadlines set by the instructor. Some instructors will accept late work; some will only consider extensions for serious and documented emergencies. Take a distance course only if you are prepared to work independently and meet deadlines without being prodded.

13. Tips for Success n Budget your time n Don’t procrastinate; don’t get behind n Meet deadlines n Login to to your online course often (3-5 times per week minimum) n Always save a copy of your files n Participate actively n Do your work “off line” and save your files to disk before you send them n Confused? Need Help? Questions? Ask your instructor and classmates!

14. Resources n More Information About Online Learning at http://www.marylandonline.org/prospec tive_students/ including articles about online learning, self-assessments, “Successful Students Checklist”