Educational Media & Technology Program

What is Online Learning?

Online learning means that courses are offered via the Internet. Our online courses are offered through EMU-Online. Below is some information about taking online courses.

In Student Persistence in Web-Based Courses: Identifying a Profile for Success, Thomas Valasek (2001) says that successful online students:

• develop realistic expectations about how much time online learning will demand
• are organized and able to manage the demands of their classes along with their responsibilities at work and/or at home
• feel confident about using a computer
• keep pace with course work and assignments, logging in regularly and frequently (average 6.6 times per week)
• participate actively in online class discussions

The full-text article is available at http://www.raritanval.edu/departments/CommLanguage/full-time/valasek/MCF%20research.final.htm

Sara Gilbert (2001),in Student Persistence in Web-Based Courses: Identifying a Profile for Success, says that online students often go into an online class "with the mindset that this is going to be a lot simpler. They go into it thinking, Piece of cake, I can get a degree in my pajamas. And when reality strikes, it can be shocking." Ms. Gilbert also says that time management is key to the success in online courses..." Online, there's no teacher taking roll. ... You've got to be prepared to be organized, and you've got to keep up with the work."

This article is available online at http://chronicle.com/free/2001/02/2001020201u.htm