Online Learning Strategies

In the classroom, the instructor is often the primary source of information. Online, the instructor points students to resources, then expends most of her effort helping students think through that material through discussion, assignments, etc.

As you prepare your course, keep in mind that your goal is not to “put your existing course online.” Instead, your goal is to “create an effective online course” – one that coincidentally covers similar content. Many face-to-face course formats don't work well at all when translated online, so don't assume you'll create a good online course by simply translating all of your current course activities into an online format.

Learning online can be a challenge for the student, especially if it is their first online course. Students must make adjustments in their learning strategies.

In the classroom, they may be used to taking notes in a lecture and in the online environment collaborative learning is heavily stressed. Students must also contend with technology and differences in communication.

The challenges of the student soon become the challenges of the instructor. Instructors often find themselves troubleshooting technical queries and answering multiple email questions.

Now that you have learned about the roles of the teacher and student in online learning, the next step is to design and organize your online course.