Practice Time Management

Don't procrastinate! Set aside regular and consistent times to access the course materials and participate in course activities. This really means checking the course site several times a week, not just once or twice. The course will move on with or without you.

Using the course timeline as a guide, establish a personal timeline for participating in course activities and completing the course assignments. Decide when you will work on major assignments and research, as well as submit assignments.

Be organized when participating in the course. Prepare your materials and ideas before "logging in". Pace yourself, and allow enough time for the online activities. It always seems to take much longer that you originally plan for!

If you ever needed to plan ahead and work on a project early, it will be for an online course. You will be able to see a difference between activities or assignments that are put together at the last minute versus those that were carefully planned.

Develop Technology Skills. Technology is a very integral component of online courses. Don't let technology become a barrier to learning. Make sure you are comfortable with the technologies you will be using, plan time to learn how to use them, and practice using them before you begin an online course.

Check the technology requirements for the course - do you need a specific operating system, Internet browser, sound card, speakers, microphone, specific software, video card and/or Internet connections?

Make sure you have reliable and consistent access to technology and Internet connections. Make sure you also have backup resources in the event that technology connections might fail.

Speak Up if Problems Arise!

Don't wait too long to try to solve problems that arise as part of the course. Seek out help from the facilitator, colleagues, or technical specialists. If you are having troubles accessing the course, downloading materials, or participating in online activities, contact the facilitator immediately to work out a solution.