ONLINE LEARNING
Getting into the Flow of an Online Course
Lee Altier, CSU, Chico
Are you prepared?
Taking an online course requires more self-discipline than participating in a classroom course.
You won't see the instructor two or three times a week haranguing you in a classroom about
homework and due dates for reports!
You need to assess your time carefully and allow sufficient time for logging in and keeping up
with the activities. It is easy to underestimate the time required for an online course. Since the
course content is going to be similar to a classroom section, allocate your time similarly. Don’t
forget to allow the hours that you would have spent in class, plus a reasonable amount of time for
homework, probably an hour or two for each hour of class time. So, for a three-unit course,
allow six to nine hours a week.
Within the first two weeks of the start of the semester, you need to assess whether you can fully
participate and complete the course requirements. Not everyone finds online courses to be
compatible with their own learning style. If not, it is your responsibility to drop the course, so
that your grade point average is not negatively affected.
Steps for getting organized
Get your computer ready! Find out recommendations for your campus learning management
system. Make sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements for system memory
that your internet connection is adequate for high speed access to course materials. You may
also need to download software and configure your computer settings to enable full course
access.
Every online course has it’s own flavor and design. While the learning management system (i.e.,
Blackboard, Vista, Moodle, etc.) provides common features among online courses, instructors
vary greatly in how they employ different tools and organize their content and activities. As
soon as you can access the course at the beginning of the term, take some time becoming familiar
with the course layout. Identify whether there are required class meeting times (synchronous
activities) or if everything can be done on your own time (asynchronous activities).

Where are things located? Check out where to find grades, readings, assignments, study
guides, etc.

Read through the syllabus carefully. Be sure to note office hours, required texts, grading
policy, description of course work, and other details about the mechanics of the course. Print
it out and keep it handy. It’s your reference guide!

What support is available? Take note of how to contact the instructor and teaching
assistants. Identify who to contact for computer problems. Find out what other assistance
and resources are available for support with accessibility needs, writing assignments,
software use

Check over the assignment schedule. Print it out. Then, tape the assignment schedule where
you will be able to check it frequently. Online courses, just like classroom sections, have
strict schedules and due dates.

Schedule your time. Students who are accustomed to taking classroom courses frequently
forget about their online course work, or they allow other responsibilities to interfere. Assess
your schedule and identify blocks of time each week that you will allocate exclusively for
your online course(s). Stick to your schedule, just as you would for attendance in a
classroom.

What software is required for the course? Course materials and activities may require
specific software to be loaded on your computer, such as a pdf reader like Adobe Acrobat
and a video player such as RealPlayer.

Construct a well-organized notebook. Use labeled tabbed pages for your outlines of course
content, reading notes and answers to study questions.
Thriving in an online environment

Although taking an online course is a more solitary experience than in a classroom, it should
not be a lonely one! Get acquainted with the instructor and your classmates. Develop
connections with them, just as you might in a classroom.

You may be assigned to a group of students for cooperation on assignments. Take advantage
of this learning community to support your mutual progress in the class!

Many courses are divided up into learning modules, each one consisting of content and
activities. As you start a new module, take a look at the introduction, objectives and activities
list.

Keep up! The flow of an online course often depends on students’ cooperative engagement.
There is often little tolerance for late submission of assignments. So, be sure to get things
completed by the due dates! In fact, computer and internet access problems occur frequently.
Instructors may not be sympathetic if your internet connection fails just before the deadline
for an exam or assignment. To allow for inevitable glitches, get things submitted before the
day they are due.

Pay attention to the study guides. As you do the assigned readings and activities, have the
study guide printed out and next to you, so you can see what emphasis is placed on different
topics. Even if the instructor does not require submission of answers to study questions,
write out the answers as you do the course activities! Be sure to keep a reference to the text
pages or course web pages where you find the answers to study questions. This will be very
helpful for the exams!

You may encounter an occasional broken link. Peruse around the website to see if there is
another way of accessing the same place. For example, some courses will have access to
reading material within the modules and in a course reading list. Your instructor will
appreciate notification of broken links and may provide a quick remedy.

Be prepared for exams! First of all be sure that you are using the recommended internet
browser. Some online exam programs are very finicky! Also, most online exams will be
open note and open book. However, you may have little time to hunt around on the course
website or in your texts for answering each question. A well-organized notebook with an
outline, extensive notes, and answers to study questions (with references) will support your
success!

What if you encounter a technical problem during an exam? Don’t panic! If your computer
freezes or refuses to let you input your answers, see if you can easily copy your answers, so
that you have a record (the system may not allow this). Some learning management systems
will allow you to shut down, reboot, and continue the exam within the allotted time. In any
case, inform the instructor right away. The instructor may be able to reset the exam for you.

Make use of opportunities to provide feedback to the instructor. Online course development
is always an ongoing process in response to changing content, technology, and student needs
and interests. Your ideas and suggestions about what was helpful and interesting will be
highly appreciated.
Reflective exercises:
1. What aspects of an online learning environment make you feel lonely and isolated? Are
there activities in the course that help you to feel part of a community?
2. How does your online engagement with other students compare with your classroom
experiences? Do you feel more or less inhibited to share ideas and to contribute to
discussions? Does your connection with other students influence your feelings about the
course and your comprehension of the content?
3. As you work on the next assignment or prepare for the next exam, write down ideas that are
unclear. Explore different ways to get assistance. Try contacting other students by course
email or in the discussion section. Then, try connecting with the instructor in the
recommended manner for the course. Which ways are the most helpful?
References
Noriko, H. and Kling, R. (2001). Student distress in a web-based distance education course.
Information, Communication & Society. 3:4, p.557-579.
Swan, K. (2003). Learning effectiveness: what the research tells us. In J. Bourne & J. C. Moore
(eds) Elements of quality online education, practice and direction. Sloan Center for Online
Education, Needham, MA, p.13-45.
Swan, K & Shea, P. (2005). The development of virtual learning communities. In. S. R. Hiltz &
R. Goldman, Asynchronous learning networks: The research frontier. Hampton Press, New
York, p.239-260.