Jumat, 17 Agustus 2012

How to Make the Most of Your Online Classes?


With easy access to education these days, a lot of students are happily enrolling into online classes and courses in order to pursue better career options. However, academic institutes and independent researchers have found that not all students have successfully completed their courses online and some of them have left such a course midway. The reason being they were unable to cope up with an online classroom ambiance and ended up losing focus and motivation to excel in their chosen programs. Majority of the learners started their elementary education in traditional schools that constituted of face-to-face interactions with the teachers and the classmates and attending classes at specific times. Now, online classrooms have no set class timings plus teachers and students can interact only via chats, emails or through video conferencing and webcams.

Thus, to succeed in online classes, you need to develop the mentality to work independently and communicate with the teachers at scheduled times.

Let's focus on the top tips to make the most of your online classes.

You must have Access to a Computer

Before you take admission into an online class, think twice about whether you have reliable access to a computer or laptop with a steady internet connection! Without a computer, you won't be able to view or download course assignments, class catalogs, calendars, etc. Moreover, if you don't log onto to the given class website on a daily basis, you will not be able to attend classes and communicate with instructors to submit homework or your projects.

Read Everything, Download, and Print if Required

Students new to the online environment should spend time reading through the school website and follow the instructions properly to view or download specific learning materials. In many cases, you will get the option to take a print out of a document. It is good to retain a hard-copy of an important post rather than to read and forget later.

Choose a Suitable Time to Communicate

Mutually discuss a suitable time to communicate with the professors. Online learning experience gives you the opportunity to learn and discuss at your convenience. Thus, online schools are seen creating a forum where both teachers and learners can log on at anytime to question and converse class-related problems and learning issues. While having a group discussion, it is important to follow up with what others are saying - reply with an open mind and come up with suggestions and share information as much as possible.

Wait for Others to Reply

Give some time for others to reply to your questions and queries. Don't just start sending numerous mails or go on posting messages without giving them some time to response. Even if you feel that your questions are very important and you need urgent responses, you have to be patient and passionate.