Online Learning - Demystified

You may be wondering what to expect from a web-based class or an online learning course. This article is to demystify some of the misconceptions of Online Learning and how you can make effective use of the same. Online classes are not all that different from regular classes. You'll have an instructor and classmates, and will interact with them during the semester. You'll have homework and participate in class activities. In some ways, the experience will seem very familiar to you.

Still, online classes are different from regular classes in some important ways. You don't have to drive to campus and fight for a parking space, because you won't be meeting in a classroom at a regular time and place. Communication with your instructor and other students will take place online, not in person. Without an instructor reminding you what is due in class each week, you'll have more responsibility for your own learning. You will need basic computing skills and convenient access to the Internet.

The skills you need most to be a successful online learner are the same ones you use in any class: preparation, organization and self-discipline. The difference is in how you apply them.