helpful. One challenge facing an online 1.

Students were asked what timemanagement strategies they found most Develop a time-management

strategy.ore and more, adult learn- ers are fnding the conve- nience and flexibility of online learning a match for their learn- ing goals and

busy lifestyles. Online degree programs, courses, and virtual universities targeting adult learners have proliferated in the past decade. Although students can easily locate an online course or degree program thats both convenient and accessible, they may face signifcant challenges in developing a new set of skills for this type of instruction. ducators have speculated on the development of student skills neces- sary to succeed in online learning, but relatively few publications cover the topic from the perspective of suc- cessful online students. ! developed the study summari"ed here to provide this perspective and to identify useful strategies that instructors can promote in their online

#ow Students $evelop Online %earning Skills Successful

courses.

62 G O O D

I DEAS

online getting classes, active

Alan R. Roper

students sharetheir the most from focusing on time participation,

secrets for online management, and practice By

&

Methodology 'he study began with the devel- opment of a

set of (uestions that emerged from a group of online course designers, faculty, and administrators ! consulted for ideas. 'he (uestion set was reviewed and edited by a larger group of faculty and administrators, and an online survey instrument was developed. )articipants for this study were selected from a list of graduates who had earned their degrees by taking EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY *+ percent or more of their courses exclusively online. Students achieving a ,.-+ cumulative grade point aver- age or better were invited to partici- pate in the study. Of the ., students invited to participate, -. did so. Survey answers were open-ended, allowing respondents to describe online learn- ing techni(ues they found useful and to tell the stories of their experiences as online students. / Successful Online Students Identify Seven Tips Students responding to the survey agreed on a number of practical steps that helped them succeed in
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their online courses0

student is the self-discipline re(uired to devote ade(uate time to class in courses that might not have regularly scheduled times to meet synchronously online or in person. &ost students found that establishing their own schedules for class time helped them ensure enough time for class participation. One student commented, Setting and staying to specifc study days was one factor that worked for me. 1or example, in the evenings, throughout the week, ! read my lessons. Saturdays were generally reserved for writing assignments. Saturdays were also devoted to responding to other online postings and building on what ! had already submitted. Another student stated that designat- ing specifc times to read, complete writ- ten assignments, and post dialogue to other students proved helpful. Students also emphasi"ed the need to create a schedule that gave them some flexibi- ity and wasnt overwhelming. One stu- dent explained, 2! was careful not to put too much pressure upon myself when completing a homework assignment. ! found that doing a little bit here and there avoided trying to do too much all at once.3 $eveloping a schedule that designates specifc times to log in to and participate in class and to carry out other course-related activities such as reading and doing research promotes a students success as an online learner. Students identifed the most helpful time-management strategies as setting a schedule for study time 45*.. percent6 and devoting time daily to the course 4,/.7 percent6. A key difference between in-person and online learning is the independence and ability to participate in the online class at a time convenient to the student. 'his also presents a potential problem, as procrastination could cause a stu- dent to fall behind in the online course. 'he graduates who participated in the study were asked how they avoided this problem. A few students 4/-.* percent6 commented that logging in to their course portal every day and checking Instructors who establish clear

expectations as to how threaded discussions are used or who ask specific uestions in response to student postings can expect to encourage richer online dialogue for new
postings or updates helped pre- vent them from falling behind. Other students 4,7.* percent6 commented that weekly assignments from the instructor kept them on a regular schedule in the course. One student explained, 8ou have to discipline yourself in maintaining your schedule and not allow any distractions to disrupt your plan. ! would allow myself one hour of winding down from work, eat my dinner, and get to my study room. ! found that if ! put in about ,9: hours of studying during the week, the weekly assignment would be completed by 'hursday or 1riday. Another student stated that an upfront planning process was critical to succeed- ing in the online course because study- ing was integrated with many other responsibilities. 2. Make the most of online discussions. Student interaction mostly occurs through an online threaded discussion that allows students and instructors to interact in asynchronous time. 'his is a signifcant shift for students accus- tomed to in-class discussions. !t may provide opportunities for richer dis- course through written discussion that allows students to spend time crafting their responses. ;hen asked how they made the most of their online interac- tion with other students, these students mentioned some interesting techni(ues. One student commented, 2!nteracting with the other students was the fun part of my 4online6 classes. As much as possi- ble, ! would post a response, (uestion, or comment to another students posting. 'his built up an online relationship.3 Another student suggested, 2<espond to several student postings, but make sure you have something meaningful to add, dont =ust say >good post. Also, dont always interact with the same few classmates. %ook for something to say with various students.3 )articipating in threaded discussions helped -?.7 percent beneft most from interaction with their classmates, while reading the responses of others helped /-.* percent. About ?/ percent found e- mailing outside of the course platform a useful way to interact with their fellows. 'he instructors role is important in encouraging class discussions online. A student explained, 2;eekly discussions were best when the teacher encouraged it, especially by having pro versus con discussion, or asking >why or >how (uestions.3 !nstructors who establish clear expectations as to how threaded discussions are used or who ask spe- cific(uestions in response to student postings can expect to encourage richer online dialogue. Students who incorpo- rate a plan for regular communication with their classmates into their overall course schedule will have greater success in their online course. 3. Use it or lose it. One challenge some students face when learning online is retention of the course content. Students surveyed agreed that findinga way to apply the concepts helped them retain the information. 2! applied the >use-or-lose tech- ni(ue. As soon as !d read or study it, ! put the knowledge to work through collaboration with students or at my place of employment.3 One way to apply these concepts goes back to the use of the online threaded discussion. @oncepts can be interpreted and restated in each students own words in an active dialogue with others. Another student commented that 2applying the new material to what ! already knew3 was a helpful way to retain the material from the online course. Several successful online students
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64 mentioned that they retained what they read by developing a way to apply those concepts to a current or past experience, for
example at work 4,/.7 percent6. Aust under half of the students 4:5.: percent6 explained that taking handwritten notes from the online text helped them retain essential points. One student explained that she 2took notes from the book and micro lectures, =ust as if B!C were in a regular face-to-face course.3 . Make !uestions useful to your learning. One student commented that 2asking (uestions is integral to learning. Dy asking (uestions, fellow students and instructors would go deeper into the sub=ect. Eoing deeper made the sub- =ect matter more understandable.3 'he online course environment typically provides communication tools 4such as threaded discussions, e-mail connec- tivity, and live chat6 that students can use to ask in-depth (uestions. Students also can take the time to craft (uestions that may go beyond what they would ask in an in-person course, probing the sub=ect with greater specifcity. Another student explained, Asking (uestions helped me to understand the material. ! was a student that did not have experience in many BonlineC classes, but the other students did. Asking (uestions of some of the other students helped me understand the principles and practices professionals in the feld face on a daily basis. 1rom the responses to this survey, successful online students spent time researching and crafting (uestions 4?/ percent6 and making them clear and understandable 4/+.- percent6. 'hey found thoughtful (uestions to be a valuable resource in support of their online learning experience, although ?7., percent of their peers admitted they =ust asked (uestions. ". Stay motivated. ;ithout direct physical contact and interaction with other learners or an instructor, online students can lose their interest or motivation mid-way through EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY Number 1 2007 their course or program. 'he graduates who participated in this study were asked what motivation techni(ues they found most helpful in preventing burn- out or loss of interest when studying online. As one student put it, 2keeping your eye on the pri"e3 is always help- ful. Another student commented, 2'he main motivator was envisioning myself in cap and gown, walking up and receiv- ing my degree, and having all my dear family and friends in attendance.3 Students also mentioned they fnd motivation in getting a good grade 4?/ percent6 and in setting personal goals 4:? percent6. One student stated, 2! always want to get an >A in every course ! take. !t doesnt matter as much in graduate school as it did as an undergraduate, but it still motivates me.3 Some students took advantage of opportunities to work with other online students, using the encouragement and feedback they received from that con- nection to stay motivated 4/-.* percent6. One student explained, 2! had a friend 4in my online courses6 that ! teamed up with, and we tried hard to make sure we not only finishedour assignments, but that we turned in only the highest (uality work possible.3 ach individual may findsomething different that works for him or her in staying motivated. One student prom- ised to buy himself a new truck if he completed the degree. ;ith a greater amount of work done independently in online courses, a new online student would be well advised to consider devel- oping personal techni(ues for staying engaged, specificallyby creating a self- motivation plan. #. $ommunicate the instruction techni!ues that %ork. !nstructors in online courses employ a variety of techni(ues aimed at engag- ing the learner. 'he participants in this study discussed some of the techni(ues that were most successful. One student commented, 2! liked instructors who logged in often and asked a lot of (ues- tions. Fot only did this help to increase understanding of the sub=ect, but it gave people the opportunity for class participation.3 Another student added, 2One teacher went farther than ! would expect, but ! found his techni(ue won- derful. #e posted the initial (uestion for discussion, and then asked us individual (uestions based on our answers.3 'his techni(ue worked well with a variety of learners 4:? percent6. 'he instructor was able to craft (uestions that matched the students level of understanding of the material and provide online resources that helped them 4/-.5 percent6. &. Make connections %ith fello% students. 'he participants in this study had the opportunity to share successful techni(ues and practices that helped them in developing their online stu- dent skills through some open-ended (uestions. One student mentioned that making a friend 4connected with online6 helped. Deing part of a com- munity of learners is helpful in courses that are taught in-person, and the same holds true for online classes 4/-.* per- cent6. One student explained that 2it made a huge difference when you had good students in the class.3 Another student commented, 'he experience was enriched greatly by the relationships and interaction with my fellow students. !t ama"es me how well we got to know each other even though we were often thousands of miles apart and were only virtual classmates. ! learned as much from other students and their experiences as ! did from the instructors. ! never expected that type of rewarding learning experience in a traditional classroom. Gsing online threaded discussions in their course management system, the students can extend classroom discus- sions beyond the traditional boundar- ies of physical class time. Students in the online class may get to know one another more from recogni"ing the writ- ing style and expression of thoughts and ideas rather than by physical attributes. &any students develop meaningful con- nections with their online classmates that can translate into career network- ing opportunities later.

Su!!ary 'he responses of these successful online students highlight several tech- ni(ues instructors can use to help their students develop effective online learn- ing skills. &ost important is a students ability to develop a time-management strategy to help manage course re(uire- ments as an independent learner. Students who participated in this study agreed that online discussions with fellow students and the instruc- tor are central to the learning expe- rience. !nstructors can encourage students to develop techni(ues to make the most of online discussions, which may add to a students learn- ing experience and promote success in the online course. 'he instructor can also encourage students to apply concepts from the online course, or as one student described it, 2use it or lose it,3 to develop an ability to retain and synthesi"e course ob=ectives. 'he successful online students who participated in this study also agreed on the importance of developing and asking thoughtful (uestions as a tech- ni(ue to engage both fellow students and the instructor. As one student explained, this is a way to 2go deeper into the sub=ect3 and that 2going deeper makes the sub=ect matter more understandable.3 Staying motivated in the class is a challenge for students studying inde- pendently. Students who develop a personal motivation strategy fnd it a great asset to the online learning expe- rience, one that can keep them from losing interest or burning out. Another techni(ue the successful online students in this study agree on is the importance of making a connec- tion with fellow students. Students who develop a meaningful connection with their fellows can receive and pro- vide support. 'he online connections also promote a sense of being a learner among other learners. Fo magical formula guarantees suc- cess in online learning. One important step for instructors teaching an online course is to recogni"e that a different set of student skills may be re(uired for students to get good grades 4indicating that they have achieved the desired understanding of the sub=ect6 and to get the most from an online course. 'he techni(ues identifed by success- ful online students can promote a rich learning experience for other students and provide a foundation for them to develop these skills. !nstructors can help them get there. e "ndnote /. 'he percentages may be somewhat mis- leading because
this survey asked open- ended (uestions. A survey using %ikert scale coding would focus responses into a few specifed categories, thus produc- ing higher percentages. 'lan

$y,er$ampus -olden -ate

(. and

(oper teaches

)aroper*ggu.edu+ is online courses in in San

Director of 'dministration the graduate ,usiness school

Number 1 2007

for at

University

.rancisco.

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