Distance Learning and You

To be successful in your time participating in Distance Learning, you may need to take on new habits that you wouldn’t otherwise need for an in-person class. You will need to keep up-to-date with your coursework and communicate with your professor, as well as the rest of your class, all while possibly never seeing any of them in person. Below is a list of desirable behaviors that will aid you during an Online Class, and our Academic Center for Excellence provides an in-depth handout with tips to be a successful online learner.

Continue here to take our Online Readiness Self-Assessment Quiz. 

Checking Your Email

Keeping in contact with your professor and your peers is an important part of any class, especially so in an online class. It will be important that you both check your student email account and the announcements within your Canvas course daily to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information from your professor. 

Your student email is provided by Google and can be accessed through the myGCC portal on the Germanna website.

Online Communication and Netiquette

Participants should possess a firm command of written communication skills, including the mechanics of writing and grammar, the ability to organize thoughts, and the ability to demonstrate those skills in all written work. Observation of "Netiquette": All your online communications need to be composed of fairness, honesty, and tact. Spelling and grammar are very important in an online course. What you put into an online course reflects your level of professionalism.

You will want to participate in the Discussions within your Canvas course in order to communicate with your fellow students in the class. 

Stay on Task

When taking an online class, you won't have the benefit of in-person lectures helping you understand the material and reminding you when assignments are due. You will need to employ self-teaching skills to ensure that you understand the course material as well as organizational skills to ensure that you are completing all of your assignments on time.

To help you know where you should be in your course materials as well as keep track of when all of your assignments are due, it is recommended that you use the calendar in Canvas and always keep an up-to-date copy of your course syllabus on hand. 

Know Your Resources

Even as a Distance Learning student away from our campus, you still have access to a number of resources to help you along the way. All of these resources are provided to you as tools to help you succeed as a student.

• Library Services: Our Library Services are here to assist you with all of your research needs while attending Germanna Community College.

• Academic Center for Excellence: ACE is here to provide you with a variety of free learning support and academic enrichment opportunities, including tutoring, writing, and math support.

• Testing Center: Our Testing Center is here to assist you with a number of the tests you will be taking while attending Germanna Community College

• Office of Accessibility Resources: Our Office of Accessibility Resources is here to provide and ensure equal access to all aspects of the college experience for students with disabilities through the most appropriate accommodations.

• Student Technical Help Desk: Our Student Technical Help Desk is here to help answer students' questions about our online services and technology.