STEPS FOR SUCCESS

For many students, online learning offers attractive benefits such as convenience and schedule flexibility. However, these benefits also come with some unique challenges.

You made the choice to take this course in this format, it is not the responsibility of your instructor to provide you with technical support unless they ask for something outside the basic course experience (though they will help you if they can, it's much better for you to develop those problem-solving skills if it's not their issue). You are expected to try to solve issues for yourself before you contact your instructor for help. However, if you are confused, frustrated, anxious, bored, or having persistent technology issues the instructor has no way of knowing unless you speak up – so please do! We want your experience to be a good one. Communicate. (Williams, 2013)

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Here are a couple of resources to ensure you’re one of the ‘smarter’ computer users.

• "Top 10 simple things every computer user should know how to do" by Whitson Gordon | Lifehacker
• "Back to basics: learn to use keyboard shortcuts like a ninja," by Thoron Klosowski | Lifehacker
• "Tech support cheat sheet," by Randall Munroe | xkcd
• Periodically check into Lifehacker’s posts for Students if you really want to stay ahead of the curve

Ensure Your Tech is an Asset, not an Excuse

You will not be granted extensions based on problems you may have with the devices or services you are using. Technological problems are a fact of modern life. You should develop work habits that take them into account. Plan to avoid Technical Snafus, to get help when you need it, etc.

Example 1: Have an Internet Access Backup Plan

Go to Google Maps and find out where your nearest free Wi-Fi hotspot is located (McDonald's, Starbucks, grocery stores, etc.), the nearest public computers (Public Libraries), etc. Find out if any of UA's computer labs are near you and save that information offline. It's also a good idea to find out if any of your classmates live near you so you could complete work together if either one of your computers fail. Think of it as a computer buddy system. Disclaimer: If D2L or a service the instructor requires has an outage you will not be penalized. However, those types of outages will be reported to your instructor by administrators of those systems. If you report one that cannot be validated, you will not be accommodated.

Example 2: Maintain a Backup of your Work at All Times

Extensions are not granted for lost files. You have 30 GB of free online storage space as part of your UA Google Apps for Education account. You should use it or a similar free service, like the introductory version of Dropbox.

What does it mean to have a backup? It means that you have an identical copy of all of your files saved in at least 2 different locations. For example, many professors maintain their files in a cloud service (such as Google Drive), on their computer, and then have an automatic off-site backup service as well (such as Crashplan).

Helpful Links

• "How to back up your computer", by Whitson Gordon | Lifehacker
• "Get Started with Google Drive", by Google
• "The Dropbox Tour," by Dropbox

Check out these Google Drive apps for various computers and devices:

• Google Drive app for iPhone and iPad
• Google Drive app for Android devices Google Drive on other devices and mobile browsers

Example 3: Put Important Contacts in your Phone

Save your professor's contact information into your phone, so in the case of an emergency you can contact them immediately. (It can mean the difference between an excused late assignment and a zero!) You can do this with any and all important contacts, like 24/7 IT.

Common Traits of Successful Online Students:

If you're not all of these that's ok, you just need to make a plan to take your own disposition into account.

• Self-directed
• Motivated
• Comfortable with technology
• Like to read & write
• Skilled with email, internet use, & document creation
• Curious
• Disciplined
• Independent

Understanding what work is expected of you is harder in online and hybrid courses because you do not have an instructor reminding you of due dates and expectations each time you come to class – but these due dates still exist. Because of this type of increased responsibility, students do not typically find online classes easier than face-to-face courses. Even with the benefits of convenience and schedule flexibility, online classes still take time and discipline.

Manage Your Schedule

Effective time-management skills don't just happen. They have to be learned. Once you accomplish this, they will benefit you throughout your life! Consider this a chance to practice. Make sure you carefully review your course calendar for all relevant due dates and set aside time throughout the week to complete all related activities.

• Calculate the amount of time this class is likely to take you each week based on the Units of Credit policy (most classes are worth 3 units) and use that to plan your life.
• Check your schedule and syllabus for assignments and exams. It’s a good idea to plan ahead for larger projects and set aside time or at least note in your calendar when you will need to prepare them. Be sure you know all the relevant dates you need to for the UA.
• Know how to turn in assignments in the required format BEFORE they are due. For example, when a paper is due you will need to know the format (i.e. .doc, .docx, .pdf) and how it is to be submitted (i.e. D2L Dropbox or file sharing).
• Know what kind of weekly participation is required. If you plan for your reading time plus 4 hours of additional work per week with at least 3 check-ins through the week – then on most weeks you will have plenty of time to participate as required. If you’ve already done the planning for larger projects as well, you’ll know which weeks will need more than 4 hours. Be sure to plan to check your UA Email and D2L regularly.
• Whatever the requirements of your course, be sure you are clear about responsibilities. If you’re not sure, ask!

Manage Your Environment

• Get some peace and quiet. You will need a quiet place to work without distractions from things like television, family, or roommates.
• Avoid games and the black hole of the internet. Consider installing a browser add-on to limit your time spent on distracting websites like LeechBlock.
• Turn off your cell phone. Let friends and family members know the hours that you will be ‘at school’.
• Consider ergonomics. Adjust the height of your chair, keyboard, and screen so that you are comfortable. Forearms and thighs should be level and parallel to the floor. Wrists should not be bent while typing.
• Set up good lighting and comfortable seating. Lighting in the room should be at least as bright as the computer screen to avoid eye strain.

Meaningful and quality input into our virtual classroom is essential. “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” None of us are at the University of Arizona to learn garbage. Some of the best ways to ensure we achieve the learning we want involve:

• Sharing relevant work, educational and life experiences as part of the learning process. Introverts and extroverts alike find this helpful, especially in the online classroom. Your instructor will ensure an air of mutual respect is maintained, so you should not be afraid of sharing.
• Thinking ideas through before responding. Sometimes this may mean you need a nap after work before you ‘come to class’ and that’s ok! Naps are amazing. Just be sure to give yourself time to critically think and consider your responses – the testing and challenging of others in our classes are encouraged. No one is expected to always be right, just ready to discuss.
• Being able to communicate through writing. Online, so much of our communication is written that this becomes more important than in traditional courses. If you have limited writing abilities or English is not your first language, accept that you may need to put in more effort than others – it’s worth it. Writing is a huge part of work communication as well. These skills will not go to waste once you’re done with college. UA provides a ton of writing support both on and offline. Take advantage of this. That also means you need to cite your sources properly. Citation information is covered in a separate UA Library tutorial if you need it.

Helpful Links: The Think Tank: Free Writing Tutoring, The Writing Skills Improvement Program

A few of the things stated under the previous steps already emphasized this point, but here are a few more notes on this idea to help you succeed. For example, it is in all of our best interests to build an online ‘learning community’ together. Many students develop meaningful connections with their online classmates and instructors that can translate into career networking opportunities later.

• Use it or lose it. Most students found it helpful to apply what they learned to online discussions, class activities, their work lives, or personal experiences. This helped them to retain the information and to see the value in learning it. (This also tends to help students stay motivated.)
• Communicate the instruction techniques that work. Share with your instructor and peers the teaching strategies that are most helpful or harmful to you. (This helps make sure you see more of those and keeps everyone engaged.)
• Use collaborative tools to interact. As a University of Arizona student, you have access to a range of Google applications for free—all of which allow you to collaboratively work with others. Try them!

Head back to finish the Orientation when you're ready...

References

PCC CLT Team. (2013, August 1). Guides to Online Success. Retrieved from PCC Desire2Learn Student Guide: http://cc.pima.edu/~d2lstudents/01Getting_started/05GuidestoSuccess.html

Roper, A. R. (2007). How Students Develop Online Learning Skills. Educause Review Online, http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/how-students-develop-online-learning-skills

Williams, G. H. (2013, February 18). Basic Technology Advice for Students. Retrieved from Chronicle of Higher Education - Profhacker: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/basic-technology-advice-for-students/46517