Cultus
Nowadays, many students are considering taking some or most of their courses and programs online because they think that it will be more convenient as compared to attending a typical on-ground classroom. But little do they know that learning online can be a lot more challenging than what it seems to be.
Because students get the chance of attending a class sitting behind a computer screen independently without the instructor or fellow students, online learning sounds, so wonderful to them that they simply get started with an impractical approach and without even practising any basic computer skills.
So before you begin with your online course, make sure that you’re fully prepared for what it requires to become a successful online learner. Remember that online courses require the same amount of time and energy as any other usual classroom courses.
However, you’ll also need some important online learning traits and practice some online learning strategies if you want to become a successful online learner.
Here are some very common traits of successful online students:
They are independent learners
Successful online learners follow an independent approach to learning. They consider self-direction and self-efficiency as the two most important elements in getting started with each online course. They are regular in following the schedule of their assignments and practice great time management techniques. They search for answers to questions themselves by taking help from various online resources.
They are adaptable to change
Online learners have a strong ability to adapt well to any sort of change in their environment or in their online courses. Just like our education system, online programs also go through a lot of changes. Hence, online students might find themselves dealing with major changes in terms of technology requirements.
They are determined
Being persistent or determined in their studies is another common trait of successful online students. Just as it would be in a traditional classroom, some online course will be difficult and others will be easy and interesting. The key is to stay determined and focused. Remember that there will be more challenges ahead.
They are goal-oriented
Completing an online course can be a long and tiresome process. So, in order to complete your tasks successfully, it is important to be self-disciplined and goal-oriented. Being an online student, you must know what your goal behind taking an online course is. You should also keep your education and career plan with you so that you can refer to it often to keep yourself motivated.
They have a keen interest in reading and learning
Online courses demand extensive reading and learning. Online students are required to extract information from their online materials to apply to their assignments. So, you need to be a proficient reader and learner first before you enrol in an online course.
They have an online presence
Since many online classrooms do not provide any visual image of the teacher or other students, you have to make your own online presence to be successful. Thriving online learners create their online presence by regularly posting in the online class discussion threads and groups. Another way to make yourself comfortable in cyberspace and create your presence online is to share some part of your story along the way.
They are not easily frustrated
One more characteristic of successful online learners is that they don’t get frustrated easily. If you’re learning something online, you need to have immense patience as you can sometimes face unavoidable circumstances which you can’t help such as a computer or a server crash, corrupt files or folders, or an electric power shut down.
Also, you need to be prepared all the time for such situations. For example, if your computer breaks, you should always have the option to use a relative’s or a friend’s computer. You can even go to a computer lab at your campus.
Similarly, if your files get corrupt, or there’s an electricity shutdown in your area, you should have a generator at your end so you can work hassle free. Remember that you should save all your work on a USB drive so that you don’t lose any work in case your hard drive crashes.
Author:
Eileen Burton works as a full-time instructor at an Online University. Being in education for seven years, Eileen has an immense passion for teaching and guiding online students in the best possible way. She provides excellent assignment assistance to her online students so that they can achieve success in their courses.
