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Online courses have many things in common with traditional classes - there are still instructors, classmates, course materials and assignments. But the online environment offers much more flexibility. You can work on the course material at your convenience, any time of day. Working in the comfort of your home, there's no need to worry about traffic, travel time, and parking to "get to class." You are in more control of your schedule, deciding how best to fit the course into your calendar, rather than arbitrarily working family, job, and ministry activities around a predetermined class time.

On the other hand, a successful online learning experience does require certain abilities that may be different from the conventional classroom skills. With the increased flexibility and the absence of prearranged face-to-face classroom sessions comes the additional responsibility for more self-direction and self-discipline from participants. You will have to manage your own time. And while the class usually does not meet at a specific time, there are still deadlines for assignments and expectations to keep up with weekly material in order to participate in class discussions.

The next page contains a list of statements that you can use as a self-assessment to help you understand some of the characteristics successful online learners typically share.

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Institute for Church Life
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Last modified: Tuesday, July 24, 2007
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