Is It Right For You?

The best way to judge if online learning is for you is to experience an online course firsthand. However, if you would like to find out right now if you are the kind of person who will do well in an online course, we have devised the following quiz to help you make a prediction. Please answer the following True/False questions. A final tabulation of your answers will give you a pretty fair idea about how suited you are to online learning. Have Fun!

PART ONE It doesn't get more basic than this. To have success at online learning, you'll pretty much need to answer TRUE to all four of these questions:

• 1. I have access to a computer and the Internet. True False

  2. I know how to use the computer to open, view and save documents. True False

  3. Typing is not an overwhelming ordeal for me. True False

  4. Reading is not a nightmarish struggle for me. True False

PART TWO Great, you've cleared the first hurdle! Now, on to more advanced questions. (Answering FALSE to one or two of the following questions is okay.)

• 1. The words "software download and set up" do not normally send me into a total panic. True False

  2. Exploring new things has an appeal for me. True False

  3. Asking questions does not terrify me. True False

  4. One-to-one dialogues (in person or otherwise) are not something I try hard to avoid. True False

  5. I've never had any particular problem working independently. True False

  6. I can make 10 -15 hours (on average) available for study each week. True False

  7. I once read a book to learn how to do something. True False

  8. Being at the computer cannot be mistaken for a form of torture. True False

  9. I am NOT considering an online course because I think the work will be easier than in a "real" class. True False

PART THREE Here we move into the positive range where FALSE answers mean a bit less, but TRUE answers really rack up the points.

• 1. Having the freedom to choose, day-to-day, when I attend class and when I study, suits the way I like to work. True False

  2. Commuting is not my recreation of choice. True False

  3. In the last year or two, there was a class I wanted to take, but couldn't fit it into my schedule. True False

  4. I like the exchange of ideas and the sometimes lively give and take of a typical classroom experience. True False

  5. Direct, personal instructor feedback is something I value and benefit from. True False

  6. Going to class in my pajamas sounds like fun! True False

PART FOUR This part is total gravy. If you've made it through so far, and answer TRUE to many of these next questions, you just may have found the perfect learning environment for yourself!

• 1. Often, after I've left a meeting, or a class, or a discussion, I think of just the thing I should have said at some critical juncture. By then, of course, it's too late. True False

  2. Sometimes I find that when I write, I can take the time to organize my thoughts better than when I talk. True False

  3. Having classmates from all over the country and around the world is a wonderful educational opportunity in itself. True False

  4. In class, sometimes my best answers to questions were the ones I thought of just after the one I gave. True False

Note: This quiz has been modified from the quiz found at http://www.onlinelearning.net/OLE/holwselfassess.html

Visit the online course information page to learn more.