Allowing assignments to 'build up' until the day before they are due is unproductive and unprofessional. If several assignments are due on the same day, the logical thing is to complete one or two early, or get an extension from a professor well beforehand, rather than waiting to the last minute to do them all.
Online learning demands communication in many capacities -- through standard papers, through online chatrooms, and through email. Sometimes there is video conferencing and phone calls involved. Both synchronous and asynchronous communication is required to participate in an online class (Betts 2009). Communication for online classes must be taken seriously. Even if I am sitting in my sweatshirt and pajama pants, I must write and speak formally as if I was in a classroom, not as if I was texting to my friends or using Facebook. Not doing other work online while I work on classes or using 'fun' websites is a critical component of making sure my communication is clear, formal, and worthy of a classroom environment. Understanding others and communicating well with classmates and teachers is a skill that must be worked on -- it is not something that is innate, except for the gifted few.
Learning how to use technology is a seemingly obvious important component of online learning. After all, a basic familiarity with a computer system and the ability to use the Internet effectively for research is a prerequisite of being an online learner. But the ways to use technology in a positive manner are not always immediately obvious, even to someone who is familiar in using the Internet for personal...
The learner must be effective at discerning which sources are reliable and which sources are not. Using academic databases rather than simply Googling a topic is important, for example. All sources, even sources from journals, must be evaluated for potential bias.
It is also important to know how to use the Internet in an engaging fashion. Knowing how to link within posts to articles where you found the sources of your information can enable readers to quickly understand your article. Using photographs embedded in posts can also provide important illustrations of what you are discussing. Merging the visual with the verbal is the essence of online communication. Communication should be clear and succinct, yet just as well-researched as any information provided by the library. To be a good online communicator, I will critically evaluate all of the sources I access online and comport myself like a serious learner in my interactions with classmates (Stanford-Bowers 2008)..
References
Betts, Kristen. (2009) Lost in translation. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration,
7 (2). Retrieved:
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer122/betts122.html
Stanford-Bowers, D. (2008). Persistence in online classes: A study of perceptions among stakeholders. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 4(1), 37-50. Retrieved: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no1/stanford-bowers0308.pdf
Time scheduling suggestions. (2013). Virginia Tech. Retrieved:
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/htimesug.html
