Tips for Students
We have gathered some useful resources and information for students interested in taking an online course. Please e-mail us at WesternOnline@wwu.edu if you have any questions.
Preparing to Take an Online Course
Here are some helpful resources that will assist you in preparing to take an online course:
Communication
Be sure to stay in contact with your instructor and your peers. Make sure you are participating in any synchronous and asynchronous discussion or conference sessions. If you do have any questions related to your course, be sure to ask your instructor.
Check your course for new updates, discussion threads, and other information at least a few times a week, if not daily. It is critical that students also check the WWU e-mail periodically.
If you have group projects or just want to create a study group, feel free to contact the other students in your course by using the Communications feature in Canvas.
Study Skills
For some ideas and help on study skills, check out Getting The Most Out Of Your eLearning Course: 10 Study Tips For Online Learners. Also, be sure to take advantage of all of the tools that are available through Western, including the Learning Commons and Academic Advising, a more comprehensive list of university services can be found on the Campus Support and Resources page.
Remember - If you are having difficulties, be sure to contact your instructor!
Time Management
For some helpful tips for time management, check out U.S. News "4 Time Management Tips for Online Students" article.
One of the first things you should do is create a schedule for yourself. Plan out when you have required synchronous sessions (discussions, live conferencing/lectures, etc.); be sure to give yourself extra time before for set-up and after for ensuring that if the session goes over the allocated time or to make sure you have time to reflect on the session. Be sure that the due dates for all of your assignments is very clear to you and that you allocate yourself plenty of time to complete the assignment, then review and edit prior to submitting. You may want to also check with your instructor or refer to your course to see if there are any special requirements for the assignment (e.g. the use of a specific guide when writing a research paper).
Technology Requirements
All online courses will have different technology requirements. Some may require that you purchase access to a vender-produced learning/content system (MyLab, McGraw-Hill Connect, etc.), others will require that you set-up external services for completing tasks and assignments (Google Docs, Wordpress, etc.). If you have any questions on course specific details, feel free to contact your instructor for additional information.
For general Canvas questions, please refer to the Canvas Help Center.
Time Commitment
Students should expect to spend three to four hours per credit per week for a course. Although this will vary from course to course, online courses follow the same general rule for face-to-face courses, for each credit hour you should expect to spend around three hours engaged in the course, working on readings, communicating with your instructor or peers, research, etc. (ACC Handbook, Section 1.2).
Communicating with your Instructor and your Peers
Here are some helpful resources for communicating in your online course:
Communicating with your Instructor
It is always important to maintain constant communication with your instructor, be sure to attend all synchronous lectures, meetings, and demonstrations; stop by in-person or virtual office hours to introduce yourself and ask questions; and be sure to let your instructor know if you are having difficulty with concepts or assignments. When communicating with your instructor, make sure your messages are professional and that you follow the rules of netiquette.
Communicating with your Peers
During your course you may be required to communicate with your peers in a variety of capacities, including discussion, blogging, reflection, group projects, editing, etc. It is important to follow the rules of netiquette and to ensure that you communicate effectively and efficiently, be sure that with any group work you outline, assign, and understand responsibilities, and that you collaborate in the review/editing process, where applicable.
If you would like to, or are required to, create a study group be sure to use the email feature within the learning management system (Canvas) to see who would be willing to participate in the discussion or, for instructor assigned groups, to find out who is in your discussion group.