Research has shown that the following characteristics are common among successful online learners.
They are self-starters. They are internally motivated, but also expect their school to help them stay motivated.
They are quick to adapt to technology. They embrace and integrate new ideas into their studies and their lives.
They are good writers. They can communicate effective using their writing skills
They are willing and able to commit the time and energy needed to be successful in their course.
They believe that learning can take place outside the classroom.
They are willing to communicate with their instructor if they are frustrated or are having a problem.
http://www.virtualstudent.com/html/articles.html )
posted by Marol @ 6:51 PM
2 Comments:
You know, I've seen this list of succesful online learners many times. And now I ask myself the question, "and so now what?" What if you have a person who doesn't adapt to technology, or who isn't a self-starter, or not a good writer. Does this mean that online education is out of their realm, or they'll need to find extra support in those areas to be successful, or that it's the instructor's job to promote those attributes? I was wondering if you've asked/answer these questions for yourself given the type of work you do. I'd love to hear more.
It is harder to do this in an online environment. In the classroom, you can see the frustration, or the student stays after class. I believe students taking online course need to support at every level. At our college, we have started a mandatory orientation for new vitual campus students. This takes some of the initial concern away from new students. As far as other support, I give students my day, evening, and weekend contact information. I also encourage them to use the discussion board to get help from other students, but I don't want them going too long without an answer. It can be very defeating for them. Like you told me in your email, (I am paraphrasing) the concern should be about student learning, not following the rules 100%.
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