Are you ready
for Distance Learning?
Online learning gives you the
flexibility to learn when and where you want.
It can save you hours of driving time and challenge, you are thinking in
new ways, but online education is not for everyone. Answer the following questions honestly to
determine how well distance learning suits your needs and circumstances. Respond YES or NO to
each question.
I. Motivation and Learning
Style Factors:
§
Do you need
to take this course now?
§ Is coming to campus for class difficult for
you?
§ Do you like the freedom to choose,
day-to-day, when you attend class and where you study?
§ Do your family and
friends support your decision to take DL classes?
§ Do you feel
face-to-face interaction is not necessary for high quality learning?
§ Are you
self-motivated and self-disciplined?
§ Do you think a
distance education course is more work than a face-to-face class?
§ Do you have an
average of 8 to 12 hours to study each week?
§ Are you comfortable
communicating in writing?
§ Is the thought of
doing a lot of reading OK for you?
If you answered YES to most of these questions, it is a good sign
that you have the learner characteristics needed to succeed in an online
course.
If you answered NO to most of these questions, it
is possible that taking a fully online course may not be your best option.
II.
Technical Factors:
1. Do you have regular access to a computer with
an Internet connection?
2. Do you know how to use a keyboard and a
mouse, save and open files, navigate the file systems and install software?
3. Do you know how to open and close browsers,
bookmark WebPages, input URLs into the address bar and navigate the Web?
4. Do you know how to create, send, read,
replay, save and organize emails, as well as send and open attachments?
5. Do you know how to participate in an online
chat or bulletin board discussion?
If you answered YES
to most of these questions, it is a good sign that you satisfy the technical
requirements needed to succeed in an online course.
If you answered NO to
most of these questions, it’s possible that taking a fully online course may
not be your best option. You may wish taking an online course after developing
the computer skills mentioned in the questions above.
If you are not sure yet click on
the following link where you can fill out a short self-assessment quiz to get
an instant feedback and tips for each question: