Do your students have what it takes to learn online?

It's common to hear that learning online is great for some people but it's not for everyone. If you ask people what kind of learners do well online, a lot of people suggest that it has something to do with being comfortable with technology. However, when the Illinois Online Network looked at what made learners successful online, its list looked like this. Successful online learners ...

• are open-minded about sharing life, work and educational experiences as part of the learning process
• can communicate through writing
• are self-motivated and self-disciplined
• are willing to speak up if problems arise
• be willing to commit between 4 and 15 hours per week per course
• meet the minimum requirements for the program
• accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process
• have access to a computer with an internet connection
• think through ideas before responding
• feel that high quality learning can take place without going to a classroom
  

It's safe to say that learning online has less to do with being tech savvy than it does with being a motivated, independent learner. Can those skills be learned? Absolutely! In fact, one of our roles is to develop these skills in all learners, not just those learning online. Does every learner have the potential to learn successfully online? Definitely! Can you help? Of course!

• Be clear about your expectations
• Encourage learners to reflect on how they learn best
• Offer learners choices about what and how they learn
• Offer learners opportunities to improve their skills as online learners
  
• Give learners plenty of feedback on their strengths as online learners & offer tips on how they can improve
  
• Encourage learners to share their difficulties and successes

By the way, look at the first list again. This is a list of characteristics of successful learners online. But how many of those characteristics apply to a successful online teacher? And how many of those characteristics do you have?

(Photo, stillness, by David Pham)