New resources appear and old ones change, so an instructor should review this point periodically after a course is developed. Instructors should feel free to use library resources to the same extent for online courses as they do in traditional classes. Stewart Library staff have done an outstanding job of designing services for distant learners. The Library is consistently praised by distance learning professionals reviewing WSU Online. There should be task submissions for students with substantive feedback on a regular basis, preferably weekly.
Online courses give students more options to schedule or to procrastinate their course work.
To replace frequent class attendance as means of pacing and motivation, experience has shown that regular and somewhat more frequent submission deadlines are effective. It is especially important to create a very early assignment or message from the student to the instructor. One of the lessons from Independent Study is that the sooner students start their work, the more likely they are to finish. Instructional quizzes built into lessons or assignments offer one opportunity for integrated, immediate feedback. Online instructors should set and articulate clear and realistic timelines for responding to students and should adhere to them.