The Redgate Read On Online Learning

As I continue in this series of posts on critical or key steps to becoming an online student, it is important to consider the following:

Don’t Procrastinate

Whether it’s in an online or traditional environment, procrastination is one of the great hindrances to successful course completion.  I am amazed at times on the level of procrastination.  I just have to wonder if some students hold to the mantras – “If it weren’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done” or “The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up.”   For the online adult learner in the virtual classroom, procrastination can really cripple learning, learning outcomes, and the student’s experience.  Here are a couple key things to consider: Read the rest of this entry »

Ask Questions

As a online instructor, I am often surprised by the lack of questions that I receive from my students.  And I am not just referring to questions on course content either.  I know, from personal experience, that there are technical and other challenges in the virtual classroom that need clarification. 

Here are several recent examples that illustrate my point:

• Liberty just upgraded to Blackboard 7.3.  Although this upgrade had more effect on instructors and course designers, there were several glitches during the upgrade install that had negative ramifications on students uploading files.  You know what?  Out of two sections for my course, I only received emails from three students about how to deal with this problem.  And the funny thing about this was that this uploading issue came during the time in the term when I require a summary paper. 
• This summary paper that I mentioned above has four specific requirements.  As a result, I not only post examples of good/bad summaries on the Annoucement Board, but I offer to review summary drafts to make sure my students are going down the right path.  Here is what is either startling, alarming or both.  Again, out of my two recent sections, I only had one student take me up on my offer to review several of his drafts.

The lesson here is make sure you “raise your hand and ask questions” in the virtual classroom.” Email and call your professor with any question, no matter how trivial you think it is.  Most online instructors really like that type of initiative.  If for some reason one of your online professors is opposed to this, I guarantee you that, if the online school is worth its salt, that professor will not be teaching online much longer. 

Since most of my career has revolved around online learning, whether it was as a student, Academic Advisor, Director of Enrollment Management, Executive Administrator, or Adjunct Faculty, I have accumulated a vast cadre of knowledge (or at least what I hope is knowledge), experience, and things to do and not to do.  From a student perspective, although online learning requires a concerted effort, significant time, lots of energy, and a strong smattering of self discipline, it can also be a liberating, robust learning experience. In my next few posts, I will present several key steps to becoming a successful online learner. Read the rest of this entry »

My colleague, Ron Kennedy (www.ronaldkennedy.com) was featured in a recent article about Liberty’s Distance Learning Program and our mulit-channel post lead conversion strategies.  Although Ron did not delve into the “secret sauces” that he and I have developed, he does give several points that are extremely relevant for anyone in this space.

http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.php?ident=30632

Are you feeling the pain at the pump?  I know I am and it’s a not just high gas price, that’s tough enough, but it is all other price increases as a result of the surge of gas prices.  We definitely need a revamped Energy Policy that pays specific homage to alternative sources of energy.  I know we have it better than most other countries, but it is hard to believe with all the ingenuity, technology, and “brain trust” in this country that we are still so dependent on foreign oil.  I know I am not the brightest guy in the world but this just does not make any sense to me.  It’s interesting that I just read an article on Foxnews.com that GM will begin producing the “Volt”, an electric car.  My hat is off to them.  Maybe they will stop their financial bleeding by cutting production of SUV’s and closing SUV production facilities and replacing them with a production ramp up of electric cars?

What does make sense to me, in the space that I occupy, is online learning is a viable option for those who are seeking to continue their education, especially commuter students, but don’t want the hassles or travel costs associated with doing so.   Coinciding with this is another interesting development that I know which is that higher gas prices have community college students, in my backyard of Virginia, changing their habits.

“More and more of our students are opting to do distance learning courses which means they can take the classes from home,” George Gabriel, vice president for advancement at Northern Virginia Community College, said in a recent article.

Annual growth on distance learning programs is 12 to 15 percent, he says. Last year, about 14,000 students took distance learning classes. NOVA now offers more than 100 such classes.

At NOVA, some campuses have moved to a two-day a week class schedule from a three-day schedule. Classes that had been on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are now on Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesdays and Fridays.

Get this - another interesting development to try to save on commuting time and gas is that NOVA will let staffers work for 10-hour shifts four days a week between June 2 to Aug. 8.