10 Commandments of Online Learning

As we prepare for the "New Normal" even in Education during this health Crisis, our academic institutions will not just be about functioning in a setting that safeguards the wellbeing of students; nor will it be about completely transitioning to online modalities.

Many signs point to the possibility in the near future of getting a quality, university-level education at a distance. As exciting as this prospect may be, it behooves online students to follow a few simple rules for getting the most out of the experience, while being realistic in their expectations, as outlined below.

Rule 1 : Make a Plan

There are many possible motivations for becoming involved in online learning. There's nothing wrong with taking an online course on impulse, or to fill a very specific need, or simply for fun, if that's your goal. But if you hope to acquire a broader swath of knowledge for some larger purpose, you will need a directed, organized approach to be efficient and effective, especially in the absence of a formal degree program or traditional academic advisor. Don't underestimate the importance, or the difficulty, of this planning effort, particularly if you are new to the field. Start by deciding on a curriculum that suits your needs, and determining the optimum sequence of courses. Pay attention to the syllabus and listed prerequisites to make sure the online course is at the appropriate level, and that you have adequate preparation

Rule 2: Be Selective

We generally try to get best value-for-money in our education, as in all else. As the number of courses available continues to grow, you may have the opportunity to shop around. Be selective in choosing online courses, because in fact there's no such thing as a free course, to the extent that you value your time. Seek out the best institutions, and then seek out the best teachers, just as you would on campus. The evaluation of a course must also take format into account, in many cases only bare, unannotated videos of lectures are available and these can be highly variable in quality and especially in legibility of projected slides or writing on a blackboard or whiteboard. In other cases, no video is provided but only detailed syllabi, lecture notes, readings, quizzes, exams, and/or demonstrations. To be sure, these materials can be valuable, and in particular there is a growing trend to posting notes in highly polished form and even as full-fledged online textbooks. But video lectures have many advantages: a sense of immediacy, the feeling of a personal touch, helpful emphasis and nuance in the presentation, and the simple fact that a memorable professor makes for memorable subject matter. 

Rule 3: Organize Your Learning Environment

Create an environment that will promote learning. In terms of time, a regular schedule (such as those imposed by the structured initiatives) can help ensure that you keep momentum, so that successive learnings reinforce each other before they have a chance to fade. Let your mind get used to a regular workout. And resist the temptation to rush through an online course; cognitive psychologists studying learning have long noted a “spacing effect” that suggests it is better to absorb material at regular, separated intervals than all at once, which is why “cramming” for exams is so ineffective.

Rule 4: Do the Readings

There is a whole set of truisms about classroom education that carries over to online education with very little change, except perhaps the need for a greater emphasis when one is on one's own. Particularly important is to prepare for each class as indicated in the syllabus, which generally means completing the required readings ahead of time. Don't adopt the attitude that the lecture should be a painless way to be spoon-fed the material and that otherwise you may as well just read the textbook on your own. In almost every case the lecturer is doing you the favor of assigning carefully selected readings rather than the entire book, helping you to focus on the “meat” that is most relevant to the approach being taken in the course. Your end of the bargain is to come prepared so that you can most efficiently absorb the value-added of the multimedia presentation.

Rule 5: Do the Exercises

Another platitude that will come as no surprise is that you should do your assigned homework before you get to watch any TV. You know in your heart that you learn by doing, and once again it's too easy to neglect this when nobody is collecting and grading your work.

Rule 6: Do the Assessments

Many courses will have quizzes and exams in addition to homework, and once again it is important not to neglect these, for the obvious reason that you need to know how well you are absorbing the material. This is the opportunity to make mid-course corrections, which are far easier to execute in online learning. Moreover, a well-constructed exam can be a learning experience in itself, particularly if it is the occasion for you to whip up your competitive instincts just a bit, since this is likely to improve your retention. Many lines of research point to the benefits of testing in promoting effective learning.

Rule 7: Exploit the Advantages

There is at least some experimental evidence that online lectures with integrated assessment can produce results superior to the classroom for large courses, possibly by avoiding known issues of “poor attendance… and inappropriate behavior (talking, sleeping, reading) on the part of students who do attend class” As for the advantages of convenience, first among these is the flexibility you have to schedule classes, in whatever order is appropriate. Most courses today are available to download and view as you see fit, and at a pace that suits your schedule.

Rule 8: Reach Out

 It is widely believed that the greatest disadvantage of online learning relates to its isolated and impersonal nature. This perspective is ironic given that the Internet is also known as the ultimate medium for social networking. In fact, the newer structured approaches like Coursera do have discussion forums that allow students to commune with one other, which in addition are monitored by instructors who can post authoritative responses to questions and even alter elements of the course as needed. Take advantage of these features instead of just lurking. If you are taking a course without such a built-in community, it will take more work, but if you can locate or recruit other like-minded students you may find that you learn better in a group, however small.

Rule 9: Document Your Achievements

A somewhat cynical view of traditional higher learning is that its value lies in the diploma as much as the knowledge. Certainly the lack of a diploma from any self-study program, online or otherwise, can be an impediment to getting the opportunity to apply one's hard-won knowledge. To a potential employer or a graduate admissions office, for example, a diploma and a transcript are proof of sorts that you know what you say you know. Whether or not any sort of certification is connected with courses you take, if you want to demonstrate that you have learned the material you should take concrete steps from the outset to document this in any way you can.

Rule 10: Be Realistic

It is important to be realistic in your expectations of online learning. As Rules 3–6 suggest, the single most important factor in your success at learning will be your degree of motivation, which in turn will determine your receptiveness and work ethic. While motivation is also necessary for success in a traditional campus environment, there is no doubt that learning on your own requires a special brand of persistence, and is not for everyone. 

While it is important to be realistic about all these factors, don't let it dampen your enthusiasm. With the steadily increasing momentum behind online learning, it is more than likely that the initiatives themselves will begin to address the issue of effective certification, and perhaps even that of mentorship, even as the catalog of available courses expands rapidly. Anyone beginning a course of online study today is likely to find a greatly changed landscape even by the time they complete their education.