Tips for Getting the Most From a VLE
While the content of an online course may be identical to that of a traditional one, the dynamics of how students and instructors interact with each other are completely different. Virtual learning comes with its own set of unique challenges. Here are some students' recommendations for how to make the most of the online education experience:
- "Find out what kind of virtual learning environment is available at your school of choice to get familiar with the software beforehand." - Liz Tascio, Graduate Teaching Assistant at University of Missouri-Kansas City
- "Get in touch with the instructor on a one-on-one basis as much as possible. I would suggest reading all the material before class and preparing questions ahead of time [before a synchronous lecture]." – Lou Storiale, online student
- "Always take advantage of the orientation process. Do this well in advance of the class to make sure that both your technological skills and your computer's hardware and software are equal to the task. Leave no stone unturned. Explore all class content for each module, even if some content seems to duplicate what appears elsewhere." – Kelly Cannon Hess, online student
- "Locate your assignments, locate the upload section, read the instructions, and don't wait till the day that class starts to try to figure it out. Also, print or write down the contact information of your instructor(s) and technical support, again on the off chance that there's a power outage or you're having issues logging in, you'll have that information at your fingertips." – Heather Sell, online MBA student
- "Learn how to write quickly and efficiently — learn to love to write." – James Ellis, online student
- "I see folks all the time fail to realize that there can be multiple discussion topics going on simultaneously. It may be necessary to pull down a menu to see all topics. Otherwise, you can be blissfully active on one and miss three others. That goes back to familiarizing oneself with the online environment. It is critical to pay attention and look around." — Don Sturgill, Master's student, University of Denver
- "Learn how to use all technologies that will enable you to collaborate: wikis sharepoints, threads, conference calls. It all makes a difference." – Josh Moritz, MBA student, Babson College Fast Track program
- "Learning online gives you the ability to integrate current events, links, articles and support, for your class assignments. This shows that you're interested in the topic (even if it's not in your area) and may provide an opportunity for further class discussions." – Erica King, graduate of PhD program, Walden University
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