Appendix 6: A day in the life of an online student

Introduction Table of contents Chapters 1. Hardware and OS 2. Basic software 3. The Internet 4. Online learning 5. Starting the class 6. The DE/CATE site 7. Checking in 8 Class sites 9. Message lists 10. Quizzes, tests, exams 11. Gradebooks 12. Documents 13. Chat rooms and blogs 14. Class search engines 15. Student configurations Appendices 1. Basic skills checklist 2. CATE skills checklist 3. Moodle and WebCT 4. SRJC classes 5. Email accounts 6. A day in the life 7. Check your browser 8. Blog tools 9. I forgot my password 10. Current CATE news

Wake up when you're ready Put on your bunny slippers (maybe) Turn on the computer Let the dog out (maybe) Log onto the Internet Go to the kitchen and get a cup of coffee (maybe) Read your messages Let the dog back in (maybe) Reply to some of your messages Have breakfast (maybe) Complete some online homework assignments Take a shower and get dressed (maybe) Surf the Net for resources relative to homework Make your bed and start a load of wash (maybe) Submit homework online and send messages to classmates Turn off computer and join the outside world (maybe!) Hopefully, you aren't that addicted to the technology. It probably would be helpful, however, to give you an overview of what you might expect to be doing each week in an online course. While people have different learning styles and modes, you might want to consider the guidelines and suggestions below as you plan your schedule. Begin your week (on Monday or the first working day of the week) by checking your email messages and read the postings on the class Message Board. These postings might provide special instructions, advice, or suggestions. Also, other students in this course might be posting messages, asking questions, or sharing information that could be helpful to you. If applicable, reply to private email and/or respond to the class postings on the Message Board. Then visit the class schedule page to see what's on the agenda. For most classes, that will be a mix of reading pages in your textbook, reading online lecture notes, and/or viewing online video clips or other Web-based media. Pay attention to assignments and due dates! Most instructors will provide a concise summary of all the assignments for the week. Depending on what the instructor requires, you'll probably need to complete and submit online forms (such as quizzes), write papers using a word processor such as Microsoft Word, submit papers via the online In Box, and explore websites related to class topics. Don't fall behind on all that reading! Most instructors will also direct you to share your thoughts, ideas, and questions about the material with your classmates. Post questions and comments to the class Message Board. Occasionally, your instructor will ask you to engage in discussion or complete an assignment that was not originally planned for the course, but involves a current event that is relevant to what you're studying. Because the Internet makes it easy to access new information quickly, students and instructors can take advantage of these opportunities to expand the class experience. Many instructors will also ask you to submit a Student Feedback form after each set of assignments. Of course, the exact content and pace of each class will vary, but in most cases you'll know at the beginning of the week what you need to accomplish before the week is over, and you'll be able to decide for yourself exactly when you'll complete and submit each assignment—as long as you turn in everything before the weekly deadline. In many cases, the in-depth learning takes place within the discussions among the students and the instructor during the week. There is no script for these online discussions using the Message Board, and the frequency of communications will vary according to each class. Because the Message Board is always open, the learning never ends, and the diversity of educational interaction among students is what makes a course most interesting.   Thanks to Peg Saragina for allowing us to borrow the original version of the material she wrote for her online classes and modify it for this Handbook.

 

Distance Education office Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA USA Last Modified: Tuesday, 10-Feb-2009 09:08:35 PST	Email to CATE Webmaster