Preparing for eLearning

To get the most out of eLearning, you need to be prepared before the start of the semester. First and foremost, you must apply to the institution and be accepted. For most institutions, there are application and payment deadlines for enrollment, just like on campus programs. Typically, these dates are months ahead of the start of a semester. Make sure that you are aware of these dates and get your information submitted early. Then, be sure to review the checklist from the link on the left menu. Some institutions provide online demos of their eLearning system that let you see an example course, including how the material is presented, the course assignments and syllabus, communications from the teachers and professors and the discussion board where you can discuss the course materials with your online classmates and professors. 

Familiarize yourself with all of the resources and follow the available links to reduce your learning curve once the class starts. One of the most important steps you can take to prepare for eLearning is to develop a can-do attitude and translate that attitude into a plan for how you are going to make time to cover all of the reading, assignments and discussion board postings. You must be willing to contact your professor early if you have questions about the material, just as you would if you were physically on-campus. With a positive attitude and self discipline, you can be a successful eLearner.

eLearning is not for everyone. Because eLearning courses offer the flexibility to fit into a student’s available time schedule, an eLearning student must have the self discipline to work through the material on a consistent and regular basis in order to keep up with the rest of their classmates. Usually, a textbook is required just as it would be in a regular on-campus program. Although you may not be sitting in a classroom with other students, eLearning courses are often comprised of a group of students, called cohorts, who learn the material separately, but simultaneously and are expected to interact with one another about the material throughout the week via discussion boards, typically through an online classroom management system.

There are usually scheduled test due dates and assignments that must be submitted on time. It takes real self discipline, as well as time management and organizational skills. If you have that self discipline and organization, then eLearning will be a good choice for you.