Many people think that online education is an easy way out. I let those people know that if a person is planning to attend an online class, he or she must be self-directed. Online is a tool to assist those who are unable to enter the traditional college classroom but are motivated to meet their educational goals.
As working adult learners, online students bring their goals, experiences, and desires to the classroom. They are motivated to bring something new to each and every class. They are prepared to succeed (p. 41 as cited in White & Weight).
Communication is critical to any online class because your classmates can quickly intimidate you and/or their experiences may especially since you cannot see them. However, try not to let this happen. You will soon realize that one of the greatest things about online education is to not feel intimidated, especially by your classmates. Your professor will set up guidelines in your respective classroom for communicating.
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Online education allows you to be yourself and let go of the barriers such as intimidation. Using the written text, you can communicate openly in your classroom sharing your professional experiences and adding to the knowledge of the classroom. Once you adjust to this new way of going to class, you will feel less intimidated. Communication in an online class "takes the form of written text through responses, feedback on assignments, and the classroom discussion process.
Lectures and faculty perspectives are no longer spoken, but rather written. Student interaction is through e-mail, chat rooms, or actual classrooms (newsgroups) set up for the virtual learning process that takes place in Outlook Express (OE)" (Mertz, 2003, p. 37), Blackboard, WebCT, eCollege or some other proprietary software. Enjoy it!
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Intimidation can scare any new online student from enjoying an exhilarating new experience-i.e., being a new online student. Being aware of this will help you to overcome it. A typical online classroom will include either conferences, folders, or newsgroups or something along this line that contain all of the online class materials and information you will need during your time in the course.
These items will vary depending upon the university and its set-up. You should not have to go to various locations while in the classroom area. However, be prepared to work, and work hard.
For the list of best online universities, visit online university information corner!
