The same is true for an online course. Because online students don't spend three hours in a campus desk each week, online students should schedule twelve hours each week for a three credit course. Online students by necessity must be screen readers since they obtain course information through a visual rather than auditory channel. Online teaching and learning necessitate a collaborative and interactive model. Online professors function less like distributors of information and more like guides or resources for students.
Students become explorers and sharers of knowledge.
Top of Page Tips for Successful Online Learning Research indicates a normal period of adjustment for online students. Comfort with the new learning environment requires spending some time learning the rhythm and patterns of online communication. You will also notice a link to the Gordon B. Olson Library which offers online service. Before you begin your online course, take some time to look around the course to familiarize yourself with it a bit. This idea is similar to checking out the room in an on-campus course before you take your seat and perusing the text materials for the course before you tackle the first assignment.