Let me dedicate this post for
those who are planning to enroll in a distance education program or online
training as part of their continuing professional growth and development.
Successful online learning highly
depends on the expertise of the educators to guide and support the learners in
achieving the learning outcomes of the online course, but even more is demanded
from an online learner, if he would like to satisfyingly surpass the course
requirements. Since there is an absence of the instructor, knowing how to study
independently is a great deal. Becoming a successful distance learner entails a
number of characteristics that one must possess:
SELF-MOTIVATED
In a traditional classroom,
learners are being motivated by their instructors, in distance learning, the
student must learn to motivate himself. A motivated learner never gives up,
when he feels bogged down; he will just remind himself that this will help him
to achieve his dreams.
KNOWS HOW TO MANAGE TIME
A successful online learner never
procrastinates. He will always make use of his time wisely by working with
assignment and other activities ahead of time to avoid cramming for the
deadline of submission. He has a study program and schedule to see to it that
every online course program activities are attended.
KNOWLEDGEABLE IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
Since distance learning nowadays
requires computer with Internet access, it is a minimum requirement that the
learner is a computer literate. He should also know how to take advantage of
the rich multimedia resources of the World Wide Web. He is fully aware on how
utilize the learning environment system of his virtual classroom. But, in case
the skill is insufficient, he doesn't hesitate to seek the help of online instructor
or other classmates, who are more knowledgeable.
HAVE GOOD READING COMPREHENSION
In a face-to-face class, learners
are used to listen and take down notes during lectures, while in distance
learning, it is expected that learners can master the course through reading
materials. Although, there are some other media contents that can be used as
resources, like clip arts, videos, and audio files, still large amount of
information in the web are in text.
FOCUSED
Successful online learner is in
focused every time he is studying. He knows how to stick to his schedule to finish his paper works. He works hard to finish the requirement on
time.
FLEXIBLE
He deals with changes positively.
He might be used in traditional learning set up, but he managed to adjust
himself with the new virtual environment, participate in the class discussion
and collaborate through e-mail and pod cast.
RESPECTFUL CLASS PARTICIPANT
He is respectful all the time,
with his online instructor and classmates and shares his insights about the
topic and always cordial in discussing issues with other members.
