Making the Most of Online Learning

Internet technology has revolutionized higher education, making it more convenient than ever to pursue graduate studies. The online environment does differ from the traditional classroom, though, and it's important to understand the differences so you can make the most of your learning experience.

	ONLINE ENVIRONMENT	TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM
Class participation	Online courses are learning communities. To excel in the online environment, students need to participate as full members of the community by engaging in discussion boards and working on group projects.	Small classrooms are organized as learning communities, but many large classes are not.
Communication	Most communication in the online environment is conducted through email and discussion boards. To excel in the online environment, students must be able to project a collegial tone in their written communication.	Communication in traditional classrooms is primarily face-to-face. Students typically get to know one another and their instructor through oral communication.
Following instructions	Instructions are provided each week in writing. To excel in the online environment, students need very high reading skill and the ability to follow written instructions exactly.	Instructions are typically provided orally, and the instructor is always physically present to answer questions.
Learning from feedback	IDC online courses require students to work iteratively, through multiple drafts before a final work product is submitted. To excel in the online environment, students need to be able to learn from written and oral feedback to improve their work.	Some traditional courses require iterative work, but not all do. Feedback may be provided in written or oral form.
Motivation	Students and instructors can't see one another. To excel in the online environment, students need to be self-starters who seek help when they need it.	Because instructors are physically present in the traditional classroom, they can see confused faces and often sense when students need help.
Technical challenges	WebCT/Vista and Live Classroom are used in IDC online courses. These sophisticated tools produce a rich online experience, but they do have a learning curve. To excel in the online environment, students need to be comfortable working with new technologies and troubleshooting occasional problems.	Traditional classrooms rarely pose technical challenges for students.
Time management	Expect to devote about 10 hours per week to each course. To excel in IDC online courses, students should log-on at least once a day to keep up with discussions.	Courses require about 10 hours each, but they rarely require daily participation.

Is online learning right for you?

SPSU's Office of Distance Learning can help you assess whether online learning is right for you. Take this short self-assessment to see if your time management skills and motivation are good fits for distance education.

Getting started

SPSU's Office of Distance Learning has posted answers to students' most frequently asked questions. Be sure to read through this online orientation.