Part of being successful with online classes is developing a system that works for you. However, here are some overall tips to consider while completing this course online:
With this course, in particular, planning ahead is exceptionally important.
For this class you will need to present three speeches to an audience of 5+ people. Plan your audience well ahead of time. Begin thinking now who your audience might be, where you might present, and when.
Many students prefer to take Public Speaking in a traditional classroom setting.
The advantages for this are many including having face-to-face interaction with the professor, building relationships with other students, and having an audience in a safe and supportive environment for their presentations.
The disadvantages of an online class are many and it is my experience that for some students it is more difficult to complete the requirements of the course when taking it online.
During this online class, you will be required to complete, record, and post 3 speeches in front of a live audience. You will have to locate people willing to listen to your speech and adapt the speech to your particular audience, which can often be more challenging to a novice public speaker than doing a presentation in the classroom to other students.
However, the biggest challenge facing online students is keeping up with their assignments and learning the content of the class by reading the lessons and watching the videos.
This can be extremely challenging. I suggest that within 48 hours of the commencement of this course you take the time to read this syllabus completely and take the first test. This will give you an idea of how well you can perform this task and whether you like learning on your own. Please also review the tips given above.
Some students have problems with the requirements for the course, including finding audiences for their speeches and posting speeches to the Facebook page. If these, or other aspects of the course are unacceptable for you then you need to consider whether you should continue in this course. If you find that you would prefer to take the course in a classroom setting or during the regular semester I suggest you drop the course.