How to "be" an online student? 

An online student must demonstrate certain essential skills. Here are some of them.  

Be organized 

Your biggest challenge will be to develop your autonomy and independence to stay on top of the course material, to view course videos, complete module knowledge tests, as well as formative and summative quizzes. Since you may not be in the classroom, you need to set aside time for this course.  Book six (6) to twelve (12) hours per week depending on the modules. The estimated times are provided.   

Filling your jar (Video link)  

You may have heard this analogy before. An empty jar represents the time you have available in your life. You naturally fill the jar with the things you must do. These things, however, do not have the same importance or weight in your life at a given time. Consider the important things in your schedule that cannot change times and are must dos for your health (sleep, eating), family, your work or your education. Imagine they are egg-sized rocks, those must go in the jar first, hence in your schedule first since they are prioritized.  

Next in the jar, you can put the medium sized things. Those things that are important, but can move around in your schedule, things like homework, study sessions, workouts, meditation – these are pebble sized. Finally, you can add the smallest things or the sand which can be sprinkled between the big and the medium things. The sand represents distractions, entertainment, laundry, socializing. They can happen anytime but should not be prioritized.  

Summary: Putting the rocks ahead of the pebbles and sand ensures everything fits in your schedule. If you reverse this order, it will not fit, and you will not be able to give the important things the time they need.  

Be committed 

To piggyback on the previous recommendation, consider following a regular class schedule. Online learning takes organization and motivation. To make both of those skills easier, design it into your schedule, do not leave it to chance or when you have time. Working at your course content regularly is more feasible than waiting for big openings in your schedule. 

The course content is accessible on the site along with explanations for the activities and quizzes. You must take the time to visit the site regularly and read what needs to be done.  

It is recommended that you  

  • follow the structure of the course 

  • adhere to the schedule 

  • add the course schedule to your own calendar 

  • design your schedule 

The key to success in an online course is to make time each week and put in a consistent effort throughout the semester. 

Be engaged  

One of the essential skills of an online student is certainly the ability to participate in a meaningful way - in a way the helps you to learn and understand the content. Ideally, you will not only be working to complete the modules but learning in the process. In this course, the key to learning and understanding the material is to practice, practice, practice as many problems as you can.  

Be active 

The course is designed for you to get practice while you are learning the material, as well as to get practice beyond the lessons. Sometimes the answers will be provided (independent practice) and sometimes the answers will not be provided (consider attending a tutorial or joining a study group to find these answers). This is an effective way to learn. 

There are many ways to practice in this course: 

  • Review the video lesson (VL) and complete the accompanying Knowledge Tests. Knowledge Test are formative assessments (FA). That means they provide information on what you understand, they are not meant to score your understanding.  

  • Once you have completed the Knowledge Tests, participate in the web-based learning activities (WBL) to reinforce your understanding.  

  • Participate in tutorials, in-person lessons and study groups for clarification of any questions you may have.  

Be comfortable with technology 

You are enrolled in an online course. All activities related to this course are conducted online through this website. As a result, you must be able to: 

  • Navigate through the site 

  • Send emails 

  • Save course documents to your computer 

  • Upload and submit files 

  • Complete quizzes 

Take the time to learn how to do these things. At the very least, find out where you can learn about them – either through your university teaching and learning centre or through the LMS used at your school.