Are Your Students Prepared for Online Learning?

The more prepared the students are for both online learning and for the subject matter of the course, the less time the instructor needs to spend with that class on a weekly basis. A new online learner will need far more encouragement and assistance from the instructor than will a student who has taken one or more online courses.

Technology and time management can present problems for many students. Adult students who are returning to school for the first time in many years lack self confidence and need a lot of encouragement and positive reinforcement.

Another issue about which many instructors complain is the level of writing exhibited by many online students. In a text-based learning environment, when all communication is via writing, students must be able to express their thoughts in a coherent and concise manner. Thankfully, many schools have writing assistance available for students and instructors should encourage students to take advantage of these services.  

Some students are not suited for online learning, plain and simple. Instructors know who those students are from the first week of the course. Students who are late posting introductions and the first week’s discussion assignment will generally remain behind the eight-ball for the entire course. Students who do not receive their textbooks on time and, thus, require additional time beyond the due date to complete the first week’s assignments rarely catch up and produce more than adequate work throughout the course.

Students who send emails during the first week of class to apprise the instructor of personal problems that might affect academic performance will most assuredly write again to use that as an excuse for not completing work on time. These students will struggle throughout the quarter or semester and will require additional time from the instructor in the form of answering questions, dealing with personal problems, explaining grades that are not as high as the students would like, and deciding which excuses for late work are valid and which are not.

Some students are very well suited to online learning. They are motivated, persistent, early turning in assignments, and best of all, they participate frequently in the course discussions. These are the leaders and lifelong learners. They enjoy learning and have a phenomenal work ethic. These are the students who bring joy to online teaching. Instructors always need to remember that, even though these students do not require time and attention, they most assuredly deserve the same time and attention that we give the more needy students