Learning Online

Study Notes :

Becoming a Successful Online Learner How to Succeed in the Doctoral Nursing Program A 6- or 12 -week course presents a highly compressed time sequence within which all course goals and objectives must be met. This presents some unique challenges to both faculty and students. Here are some rules and guidelines for students that have been found to be ver y effective in the context of a 6- or 12 -week course: • Get involved and interact with your Instructor and classmates at a high level within t he first week. Introduce yourself in the Class Café, and then read and respond to your classmates ’ introductions. You will be able to refer back to these introductions to identify who is posting in the weekly Discussion areas as the course proceeds. You may even find it useful to take some notes to help you to identify who’ s who in your class. • Pay close attention to feedback that your Faculty M ember gives you on any assignments due at the end of the first week . This will help you understand your Faculty M ember’s expectations about how to complete assignments and will reassure you that you are on the right track. Before asking question s, make sure you have read the S yllabus and assignment details carefully and thoroughly. If you still have questions or just need to clarify matters, don’ t be afraid to ask questions in the Discussion and be sure to read the questions others ask as well —this sharing of information may answer many of your questions. If you have questions about your assignment grade or other pers onal issues, privately e-mail your Faculty M ember to get assistance as quickly as possible. • Print out your S yllabus, mark your calendar, develop a routine , and participate on a frequent, consistent , and regular basis. • Students in the DNP degree program are expected to complete 13 –15 total hours of coursework each week. Frequent participation in the classroom and regular scheduling of your off -line work will ensure that you keep up with the fast pace of a 12- week course. Pay attention to due dates and penalties for late assignments and let your F aculty Member know as soon as possible beforehand if you have a time conflict that will interfere with your meeting of those deadlines. It ’s easy to lose track of time in an online course , so make sure that you set aside some time at the beginning of each week t o map out your study schedule. © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 1 of 9 • In order to get the most out of what you learn and the time that you spend in this program, it is important to apply what you learn to your own needs. Whenever possible, sel ect topics for assignments that are part of the work that you are doing or hope to do. For instance, if you are writing a paper for a course, choose a topic that partially or directly relates to your work. Term papers can also easily be made into grant pro posals or publishable articles . Walden Instructors are generally very receptive to this , and some may even require it. Principles of adult learning theory on which your courses have been designed recommend that if you apply everything you learn as you lear n it, you will remember it more readily.

If it is possible, take the things that you learn in your online course today , and use them in your workplace tomorrow. Also, try to make connections between what you are learning and what you do or will do in your job. Contributing advice or ideas about the real world as it applies to the subject matter that you are studying helps you to internalize what you are learning and gives valuable insight to your classmates who will benefit from your experience. Q&A About Online Learning How does taking an online class compare to taking a traditional class?

Online learning differs significantly from traditional classroom learning. Since there is no class meeting time (except for the occasional scheduled event), you decid e when you want to participate. This provides a lot of flexibility, but you do need to set aside sufficient time to study. Like a traditional class, you will interact with your Instructor and fellow students.

However, this interaction will be done electr onically. Instead of lectures, you will read the Study Notes and explore the w ebsites mentioned. Again, you must take responsibility for doing this. What are the pros/cons of online courses? For both Instructor s and students, online courses offer more f lexibility over the time/place of learning; you can participate in an online course when and where you want (provided there is a computer handy). Also, online courses offer new possibilities for learning and teaching in terms of the way information is pres ented (especially multimedia) and the kinds of interaction. However, online courses depend upon technology , and that introduces various technical problems associated with using computers and networks on a regular basis. And, online learning/teaching may not suit the personal styles of some learners and Instructor s—or the needs of certain curricula or training tasks. T ips to Help you Become a Successful Online Learner © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 2 of 9 1. Complete the Technical Readiness and Academic Online Student Orientations. Our experienc e shows that students who successfully complete orientation have a much more rewarding online experience. Instructor s also expect students to have basic competence using the technology before the course begins ; that way , time that could be spent on academi c study is not wasted learning how to use the software after the course begins. By carefully completing the technical and academic orientations, you will be able to focus on the academic content of your course with confidence, and you’ ll have a positive online learning experience. 2. Obtain your course materials. Having your textbooks and other required materials before your course begins is important. As soon as you enroll in a course, the textbooks and required materials you will need will be listed on your myWalden page. You can purchase these materials online by following a link on your myWalden page. 3. Understand your roles and responsibilities , and those of your Instructor .

Online courses in the DNP program have been designed according to an Instructor -le d online model in which the C ourse Instructor plays a vital role in facilitating student learning and assessing student work. The online process requires both the Instructor and students to take active roles in the course: Your Instructor will manage the online classroom and provide timely and appropriate feedback in order to encourage participation and completion of required tasks.

You are expected to participate in online activities, complete all assignments , and respond to Discussion questions and classm ates’ responses in the Discussion area. Understanding the responsibilities of your Instructor can help manage your expectations for your course. Your Instructor will: o Greet students in the Class Café Discussion a rea. During the first week of your course, you will be asked to introduce yourself in the Class Café. Your Instructor is interested in knowing about you and will welcome everyone to the class by responding to student introductions. o Respond to student questions within 48 hours. Your Instructor should respond to private e- mail or Discussion postings that concern technical or access questions within 48 hours by referring students to the Course Manager. Also, your Instructor should answer any procedural questions about assignments or classroom activiti es sent via e-mail or posted in the Discussion area as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours after . o Facilitate the w eekly Discussion . Instructor s are expected to participate in online d iscussion for each course secti on by logging in a minimum of fo ur to five times each week and posting one or more messages each time © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 3 of 9 they log on in order to foster and enhance online d iscussions about the course topics. o Post A nnouncements r egularly. Your Instructor will post A nnouncements in your online classroom eac h week to remind you of upcoming due dates and update you on any important information about your class to help you stay on track with the course requirements. o Prov ide substantive feedback on student work in a timely m anner.

Assessment of student work and providing timely feedback to students is a vital responsibility for F aculty Members. The shorter length of the 6 -w eek course makes quick turnaround in grading and giving feedback to students a high priority. You can expect quick , substantive, and specific feedback on the first assignments that you submit, which will help clarify your Instructor ’s expectations for your work and help ensure that you get off to a good start. Your Instructor should grade your work within a week for most assignments and is required to post your grade within 10 days of receiving your assignment. You can access the online G radebook for your course by clicking on the Gradebook tab at the top of your classroom. o Your Instructor will make every effort to meet these guidelines, but on rare occasions, if this is not possible, your Instructor will keep you informed.

Remember, you can always rely on your Instructor for assistance. 4. Speak up if you are having problems. Remember that your Instructor cannot see you, so you must be explicit wi th your comments and requests. If you are having problems understanding something about the course, you MUST speak up; otherwise, there is no way that anyone will know that something is problematic . Also, if you don’ t understand something, chances are that several people have the same question. If another student is able to help you, he/she probably will . A nd if you are able to explain something to your classmates in need, you will not only help them out, you will also reinforce your own knowledge about the subject. There is an Ask the Instructor Discussion area as well as a Class Café Discussion area set up specifically for students to ask questions about the course, including online procedures. 5. Contact the Student Support Team if you need help. Remember that the Student Support Team is dedicated to ensuring you a rewarding learning experience online. The Student Support Team will help you with technical and administrative support for your class —so don’t hesitate to request help or seek advice. They are com mitted to providing you with the highest level of support.

eCollege technical support is also available to you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (24/7) to help should you experience technical problems. All contact information is located under Course Support in Course Home. © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 4 of 9 6. Participate! Whatever you can do to avoid feeling isolated is extremely important, and participating in online d iscussions will give you access to other students who are taking the same course as you at the same time. Each online course in the program has specific standards for online participation, but the more that you interact online with classmates and participate in online discussions, the more involved you will feel in your course. Whether you are working alone or in a group, contribu te your ideas, perspective, and comments on the subject that you are studying and read about those of your classmates.

Your Instructor is not the only source of information in your course —you can gain great insight from your peers , and they can learn from you as well. Also, try to make connections between what you are learning and what you do or will do in your job. Contributing advice or ideas about the real world as it applies to the subject matter you are studying helps you to internalize what you are learning and gives valuable insight to your classmates , who will benefit from your experience. 7. Take the program and yourself seriously. Elicit the support of your colleagues, family , and friends as you start out on your online adventure. This built -in support system will help you tremendously , since there will be times when you will have to sit at your computer for hours at a stretch in the evenings and on weekends.

When most people are finished with work and want to relax, is most likely when you will be bearing down on your coursework. It helps to surround yourself with people who understand and respect what you are trying to accomplish. Make sure that people around you know that you are “ attending class” online as opposed to merely surfing the Web. 8. Log on to your course frequently. It is recommended that you log in to your clas sroom at least 4 to 5 days a week to read Discussion postings and participate in online d iscussions. As you begin participating in your course, you will find that you are eager to log on to see who has commented on your postings and read the feedback of your Instructor and peers. You will also be curious to see who has posted something new that you can comment on. If you let too many days go by without checking into the weekly Discu ssion, you will get behind and find it very difficult to catch up. For this reason, extended travel is a problem for online learning, unless you take a laptop with you or make regular use of cyber caf és. 9. Take advantage of the online learning environment. O ne of the biggest advantages of the online format is that you can pursue your studies without the judgments typical in a traditional classroom. No one can see you—there are no stereotypes, and you don’ t have to be affected by raised eyebrows, rolled eyebal ls, other students stealing your thunder, or people making other nonverbal reactions to your contributions. You don’ t have to feel intimidated or upstaged by © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 5 of 9 students who can speak faster than you because you can take all of the time you need to think your ideas through and compose a response before posting your comments to your class. 10. Be polite and respectful. Just because you are relatively anonymous doesn’ t mean that you should let yourself go. Remember, you are dealing with real people on the other end of your modem. Being polite and respectful is not only common sense, it is absolutely obligatory for a productive and supportive online environment. In a positive online environment, you will feel valued by your Instructor and valued by your classmates , a nd your own work will have greater value as well. Being respectful on the Internet also means to observe the rules of “ n etiquette.” While many of the netiquette rules relate to communicating with others online, some rules pertain to maintenance of the “ Information Superhighway. ” For example, compressing files before transferring them across the Internet is great netiquette in that it avoids wasting Internet “ bandwidth” (i.e., the highway is only so wide, and we should all try to use up as little space as possible). Time Management Strategies for Online Learners To be a successful online learner, you will need to apply time- management skills to keep up with the pace of your classes and reach milestones established by your program. Courses in your program have been designed for adult learners who normally have busy schedules and are often juggling a variety of professional and personal responsibilities. How much time does an online course take? You may quickly find that studying online is not any easier t han the traditional educational process. In fact, many students say it requires much more time and commitment since more effort must be made on your part to organize your time and keep up with the pace of the course. Your professors will demand at least th e same quality of work as they would receive from you in a face- to- face classroom; courses in the Walden DNP program require a time commitment of approximately 13– 15 hour s per week for each course. Here are some strategies to make the time you spend onli ne as efficient and productive as possible: Get a Solid Start • Complete t he Student Readiness O rientation. Students who participate in online orientations prior to the beginning of their courses have much more fulfilling and successful online learning ex periences. The Technical Readiness © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 6 of 9 O rientation gives you time to iron out most of your technical problems and get comfortable with the software you will use for your program. You can use this orientation time to make sure your computer has at least the minimum technical requirements needed for the program, and upgrade your system if needed. This time spent up front saves a lot of time later on. • Be p roficient in the technologies that you use. It goes without saying that the more comfortable you are with the computer programs you need, the quicker you will be at using them. Once you pass the learning curve, you will be much more efficient with your time. Take time to get training and to practice using the computer programs that you will need for your courses (e.g. , Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet Explorer, Netscape Composer , or others), and consider it an investment in your online study skills. • Learn the art of “cut and paste. ” Compose longer Discussion postings first in Word and learn keyboard short cuts. This way, if you get bumped off -line while working in the Discussion area of your classroom, you will not lose what you’ ve composed. • Acquire strong Internet search and information evaluation s kills. Learning these skills will help you navigate the Web w ith more ease and find quality materials more quickly so you can spend time learning about the information you find, not s earching for it! There are informative links and resources in the Webliography area of this classroom to help you practice online s earch and e valuation skills. • Use Technical Support! Technical S upport is available 24/7, so don’ t hesitate to ask for help whenever you get stuck in your online class. The Student Support Team will be able to assist you with most of the questions that you may have regarding the eCollege software or administrative issues about your class. The Student Support Team is available via e- mail, chat, and phone. Please see the Course Support area of this classroom for details. • Consider High-Speed Internet . Consider the payoffs in time that you will save with faster Internet connections to your online class. Know What t o Expect • Familiarize yourself with the design and layout of your online course. When you first gain access to your online classroom each term, take s ome time to navigate through each area of the classroom. You will find that all your courses will have a similar look and feel, but each one will focus on a different subject area, and each new professor will have their own distinctive teaching style and © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 7 of 9 characteristics. Make sure that you are comfortable in the online classroom environment and that you know where all of the information you need is located.

Spend time looking at the Course S yllabus even before you register. Decide if you can be a successful self -directed learner in this particular study content. • Read through the entire Course S yllabus. Don ’t just look at the weekly schedule of your S yllabus for each week as the course progresses —print out and read through the entire S yllabus as soon as you get access to your course. Make sure that you understand what will be required of you and what your Instructor ’s expectations will be regarding your online participation and the various assignments throughout the course. Knowing what will be due ahead of time will help you manage your time during the course. • Understand what is expected. Carefully read the instructions for each activity before you begin working on an assignment for your course. Make sure that you understand the purpose of the assignment and what deliverable you are expected to submit. If working on a longer assignment or group project, identify the individual tasks or steps involved and what parts of the assignment you will be expected to submit. If you are preparing for an online test or quiz, before you begin, make sure that you have enough time to complete it and that you understand the information covered in the course assignments that will be covered. Stay o n Track • Be highly organized. This will reduce the chance of forgetting to subm it important assignments in your course. Set interim goals and deadlines for your self, and stick to them. Using your Course S yllabus as a guide, keep a calendar showing the number of weeks in the quarter and mark it off with the amount of work that you need to do each week. Keep track of when you will be working on writing assignments, participating in group projects, taking tests, submitting assignments, etc. Don’ t fall behind in your work! Keep in mind that you will have a more intense schedule at the end of a course than at the beginning. • Follow a schedule and t imeline. Create a personal study schedule for yourself.

Identify regular times each week when you can work on your C oursework, and make sure that you select moments of the day when you are fresh and attentive , and stick to those times every week. • Use blocks of t ime. Set aside blocks of time to work on your course, so that you can concentrate on the d iscussions and the course. Make sure that your family and colleagues understand that you are worki ng during these times. © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 8 of 9 • Log in every day. Or log in at least five times a week. Postings pile up quickly in an interactive and Discussion -oriented course. A little work each day is much easier than hours and hours a few days a week. • Avoid interruptions. Find a place to s tudy where you will have minimal distraction. While you are logged in to your class, or studying off -line for your course, do your best to avoid all interruptions and distractions so that you can make the most out of the time that you hav e set aside to study. • M anage your s tress levels. Learn to understand stress and what causes it — this will help you focus on your studies, manage your time better, and enjoy your learning experience as you fit it into your already busy schedule. Knowing ho w to analyze what causes stress will help you to plan effectively to control it and which stress management techniques you can use in the process. Visit the links below for more information on stress management techniques. Suggested Readings: Time Mana gement Principles http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/acad/strat/time_man_princ.html Mind Tools: Time Management http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm Mind Tools: Stress Management Techni ques http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TCS.htm Recognizing Stress http://www.teachhealth.com/#recogstress © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 9 of 9