Online classes have positive and negative aspects to consider, and in order for them to be successful, both students and teachers need to learn effective ways to handle them. Distance learning is different than traditional settings and has new situations that many need to adapt to so that they can do well. For students, it is imperative to have great time management skills, contact with instructors, and the ability to teach themselves new concepts and other materials. Teachers need to be available to their students and know how to structure their classes in this setting. Many of the practices in traditional settings are present in online courses but are simply tweaked to fit the environment. Though there is an adjustment period, online classes can be a valuable learning space.
There are a variety of reasons why a student would choose to participate in an online class. Sometimes, there is simply no time to be able to physically be present in class. For others in high school, it is an opportunity to take extra classes. However, procrastination can be a student’s ultimate downfall in an online environment since large amounts of work can be due at once. There is more responsibility for the student to keep up with their work on their own time as there are little to no reminders outside of the class website to make sure they complete assignments. If the student does not remember or forgets to submit an assignment, some teachers will fail them, and for all of the money that students in college invest in their education it is important to make sure that their classes are worthwhile. If they fail due to poor time management, then their tuition was a waste of money. This is why when instructors provide a detailed syllabus of all the assignments throughout the course, it can be a huge blessing. Marking an agenda or calendar can be vital in passing the course. Before signing up for a class, it is essential for a student to honestly evaluate themselves and question whether they have the skills to manage it or not.
In structuring an online course, teachers need to remember to space out the due dates of assignments. For previously mentioned reasons of procrastination, some students need to be reminded to complete their objectives. Having weekly or biweekly dates to turn in assignments can help students be able to complete all of their work on time. Instructors who usually teach face-to-face classes also have to adapt much of their material to make it work in an online setting. Some hands-on activities can not translate into a distance learning setting which means they have to be a bit more creative. Discussion boards for students and teachers to interact with each other are great alternatives to the traditional school setting in class debates or collaborations. For creating online projects, there are also great websites like Prezi to use instead of a physical poster board. In order to keep a class engaged, the online atmosphere also provides an easy way to share entertaining, but still highly educational, videos. Instructors can even upload their own videos or an audio file to have a lecture for their class. As long as they load properly, the whole class benefits. The options are endless, but with the right combination of these helpful tools, students can learn and teachers can teach effectively.
Communication is another important factor in helping students and teachers succeed. When students have questions, they should not be afraid to contact their professor as that is a normal part of any class. Instructors should embrace their student’s quest for knowledge through answering as quickly as they can. Sending an email usually means the student is genuinely concerned about the class and responding can keep them engaged. From the start of the class, teachers should assure students that they are frequently available to be contacted. Just because it is an online environment does not mean that there has to be a wall between students and teachers. If a student prefers to meet face-to-face, sometimes there are opportunities for the instructor to hold office hours for extra communication and guidance.
Even though it is a teacher’s job to teach, unfortunately some do not successfully use the right resources to help their students learn. If students are not prepared to read the material and teach themselves, then there is a possibility they could fail the course. This can happen in any class, but if there is little to no communication with the instructor then the textbook becomes the teacher. Without great instruction and no explanations for questions the student may have, reliable websites may be another alternative for information to self-educate. Students who have low quality instructors should also consider contacting another pupil in the class to collaborate and study with them. If one student does not understand a concept, the other may be able to teach it to them and present it with a new perspective. Posting discussion boards for the whole class can also help so that students can help each other to learn on a bigger scale as when one person gets the answer to a question, so does the rest of the class. Although this is not the case in every class as there are great online teachers, in the event that a student happens to get a less than satisfactory instructor, being able to self-teach material is a useful skill.
While online classes are different than their counterpart of a traditional school setting, they can be useful. Through time management and avoidance of procrastination by students, much more can be accomplished. Communication is essential in classes like these for students and teachers to succeed and using the technology that is available can provide a much better educational experience. Teachers also need to remember that some of the assignments that work in a traditional setting will not easily translate to distance learning, but with some creativity that does not have to be a problem.
