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.
