You’ve probably noticed that all of my solutions have a similar first step: Contact Your Instructor. This can solve 99% of most class issues. But, what do you do when that is the issue? The primary method of communication between online instructors and students is email. In order for this to be useful to students … Continue reading Solutions: Communication
Solutions: Disorganized Content
An online class can be disorganized in many ways, but this post will focus on the issue of disorganized content. In this context, content includes any and all of the materials found on the platform (i.e. D2L or Blackboard) for the students to use or learn from. Here are some examples: assignment instructions, templates, or … Continue reading Solutions: Disorganized Content
A Music Student Online
Hello, everyone! This week's post is written by a guest author! Hello, everyone! My name is Nathan, and I have been given the opportunity to write an article for this website! I am a music education student in college who has taken a few courses online. Some of these courses were for degree requirements, others … Continue reading A Music Student Online
Solutions: Flexibility
Generally, an online class’ flexibility is measured by the level at which a student can complete work at their own pace. Some flexibility restrictions are: anything that forces the student to answer to someone else’s schedule work not being accessible ahead of time so that a student may work ahead assignments that require previous assignments … Continue reading Solutions: Flexibility
Solutions: Inconsistent Schedule
Previously I gave an example of what a bad online course schedule might look like. I’m going to bring that back for reference so that I can share some tips and options for dealing with it. Discussion 1 – due by 4:00PM Tuesday Oct. 2 Discussion 2 – due by 8:30PM Saturday Oct. 13 Discussion … Continue reading Solutions: Inconsistent Schedule
Solutions: Unclear Expectations
So now that I’ve told you what makes an online class good, what should you do if you find yourself in a bad online class? Unclear expectations are a key attribute of a bad online class. For the most part a student should be able to find what’s expected from them by reading the syllabus. … Continue reading Solutions: Unclear Expectations
A Good Online Class: Communication
Whenever anything in an online class goes wrong, nine times out of ten it can be solved by contacting your instructor. For example: Say you've spent all day searching for a reading but you absolutely cannot find it, contact your instructor. You don't understand the instructions to an assignment, contact your instructor. There's something wrong … Continue reading A Good Online Class: Communication
A Good Online Class: Organized Content
If you walked into a library and there was no system, no method to the madness of a couple thousand books, that would considerably hinder their usefulness. At best you would have to spend hours, if not days, looking for what you need and you may miss out on the best sources in the end. … Continue reading A Good Online Class: Organized Content
A Good Online Course: Flexibility
I once took a class where the instructor would allow us to work up to four weeks ahead at a time and allowed us to submit that work at any time up to the due date. The assignments primarily consisted of online quizzes, papers and PowerPoint presentations. I would pick a Sunday and spend the … Continue reading A Good Online Course: Flexibility
A Good Online Course: Consistent Schedule
In a traditional face-to-face class, assignments are almost always due at the beginning of a class period. For example, if you have class on MWF from 9:30AM - 10:20AM your assignments will almost always be due on one of those days at 9:30AM. Or, perhaps 11:59PM the night before. A good online class should function … Continue reading A Good Online Course: Consistent Schedule
Class On-The-Go 