WHAT TO EXPECT FOR AN ON LINE / DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSE

By: Luz Elena Herrera Pérez

WHAT TO EXPECT

The same material that you would in a full-time face-to-face class.

A full syllabus at the start of the class that includes any orientation, quiz, exam, and assignment due dates

Clear instructions for each phase of the course: what to read what to do what to turn in and how to submit it.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Expect to spend (on average) 6 hours per week Just because classroom time is greatly reduced, it

does not mean that learning time is similarly reduced.

You may spend more time, depending on your reading and writing skills.

Assistance from your instructor. You are on your own. Your instructor is available to

assist and guide you in your learning and answer your questions throughout the course.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Receive information and feedback from your instructor weekly

Good communication is the key to a successful distance education experience.

Take advantage of other resources -  contact the Tutoring Center, Distance Education office or one of the campus computer labs.

QUALITY

Distance education courses are exactly the same as face-to-face courses in quality, objectives, credits and learning outcomes.

Distance education courses are Student Centered rather than Teacher Centered. Your teacher is a facilitator and will assist you in learning the material required

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

You must be an active learner not passively waiting for your teacher to remind you to do your homework, checking on your progress every day

Take the responsibility for your own learning: completing work on time. emailing the instructor for assistance. keeping up with readings. logging into the course daily for updates.

GRADING

Expect to be graded on the value, content and timeliness of your work.

Follow the syllabus your instructor provides.

STAY ENGAGED

Remain an active learner.

Monitor your progress in the course.

Distance education course take more time and energy than a traditional face-to-face course, in many instances

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS

You may get to know your teacher and classmates better than in a traditional classroom.

Active class discussions and interactions.

Shy students often participate in duscussions more n line.

BUILD DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS

Beyond the course content , you may learn other skills such as:

How to do conduct research online

Navigating a diverse array of website

How to use various web and computer applications

File management and organizational skills

Creating online presentation

Competency with online conferencing technologies

Creating and collaboratively sharing / editing documents on line

THANK YOU!