DE Orientation Class Strategies

Some students sign up for distance courses because they think it is a quicker and easier alternative than the face-to-face (F2F) courses. This is definitely not the case. In fact, most students feel that distance courses are more work. Remember, you must allot all of the time usually spent in class plus time required for homework assignments as the total time you spend with your distance class.

Review any information you received with the course textbook, and check with the course website to view the course set-up and requirements. If you have any worries or questions about the course, contact your instructor.

Make sure that you have the necessary computer hardware and software required by the course, and any other tools such as a VCR or tape player. To view sections of the course online, you may need free "plug-in" software you can download from the Internet. Make sure all your systems are up and running before the course starts.

Make sure the place where you plan to work on your class is quiet and you can work for periods of time without interruption. Schedule enough time during the week to do class work as well as homework, or you may become frustrated. Reserving the same time each week may be helpful.

Sometimes it will be very hard to sit at your computer for hours at a time while others in your household are relaxing or recreating in the evenings and on the weekends. If your family and friends understand the work you have to accomplish they can be a tremendous help by allowing you the time to study and by being your cheerleader.

Keep a calendar of when all the work must be done for your class, including your reading assignments, posting assignments and projects. It helps if you give yourself a little extra time before the task actually needs to be done. Set interim goals and stick to them. Do your best not to fall behind in your work -- this is easy to do because you will not be sitting in class having the instructor to remind you, nor will you see other students completing the work.

Class participation -- whether in the form of chat room conversations or posting to discussion areas -- is essential in a distance format. It not only is required in most classes, but it also helps take away the isolated feeling that you may get when you're sitting alone in front of your computer. The more you participate, the more you will feel a part of the class.

Don't hesitate to contact your instructor if you have questions about the course, or to update him or her on your progress. Instructors are available by phone or email.

In most distance classes, email addresses of your classmates are available. If the course does not require any group work, find a person in your class that you can email and communicate with regularly. Discussing the course with a classmate may be very helpful in understanding the curriculum and completing assignments.

Even though you may not be posting information or submitting assignments, it will spur your interest and keep you updated to log-on frequently and keep up with your classmates' postings. It can be frustrating to join your class at the end of the week and find you have missed entire discussions.

One of the advantages of taking a distance class is that you are completely anonymous. There are no traditional judgments or stereotypes about the way a person looks. Everyone starts at the same point, and this allows you the freedom to be yourself and generate your own ideas.

Remember that you are dealing with people, not computers when you respond to your class. Be thoughtful and read over your postings before submitting them. Use good grammar skills and respect others opinions when commenting on someone else's work. This is absolutely necessary to create a positive environment. Remember, whatever you post to your class website will be there the entire semester, so if you have a bad day and say something unkind, you and everyone else will be reminded of it every day until the class is over.

The distance format is new for many students and everyone makes a mistake once in a while by posting in the incorrect place, or having a couple of typos in their responses. Relax, its a learning situation and this is all a part of the process.

Don't forget that this is your class as much as if you were sitting in a classroom.

The work you completed in class is valuable. It's best to save it in hard copy format as well as on disk. You never know when you may be able to use this information in a future class or in you job.

At the end of the semester, you will complete a class evaluation. Be honest and give your true opinions of the course content as well as the distance systems. Problems cannot be corrected if they are not identified.