What's that? A not-so scary online class.
12/08/2009
It may be a scary thought but one day you are going to have to face it. No matter what your age may be or how scary those syllabus' look- you mise well give it try. I know that online classes can be scary. My mom goes to Sinclair and has to take an online class, of course I have to help her out, which lead me to this blog she said she has no idea and is scared to even try. I got to thinking... if she feels that way, maybe a lot of people here at IUE do as well. In order to do an online class you will need to know a basic understanding of our Onestart system so that you can access Oncourse and have the newest Microsoft Office pack available which can be downloaded here for free. That is it! You don't need much more but your textbook. Another think you may want to check out is the Distance Dish blog which gives a lot of useful information about taking distance education classes (online courses). This Spring 2010, I am signed up for four online classes, so you have to trust me on this one- it isn't as hard as you may think it is.
On an online course, instructors usually have you introduce yourself in your oncourse class chat room where you can electronically meet your classmates and you might know a few from on campus as well. You can create study groups and meet on campus- or in the chat on a certain time or day. Usually online courses are set up with weekly assignments, quizzes, and tests- a very few courses I have taken have only been comprised of tests which do end up being hard but if you study and use the resources the instructor gives you then you will be just fine. Also the tests usually are timed- anywhere from 30 minutes- to 90 minutes but trust me your instructor will allow you plenty of time for your quizzes or tests to be completed. Another tip... use your print allotment!! Print out slides your instructor has or any other resources they will help you! I hope this helps everyone who may be afraid to take an online course! It isn't that scary - just give it try.
Amanda
