Foreword xv
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You’re Not to Read 3
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book is Organized 4
Part 1: Introducing a Different Kind of Learning 4
Part 2: Preparing to Be a Learner 4
Part 3: The Virtual Classroom: Being an A+ Student 5
Part 4: Special Considerations in Online Learning 5
Part 5: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Beyond the Book 6
Where to Go from Here 6
Part 1: Introducing a Different Kind of Learning 7
Chapter 1: Planning for Your Online Learning Journey 9
Examining the Characteristics and Advantages of Online Education 10
The nature of online education 10
A few pros of online learning 12
Knowing the Technology and Computer Skills You Need to Succeed 12
Seeing How to Go About Becoming an Online Learner 13
Finding available courses 14
Evaluating programs 15
Applying to a program and securing the money you need 16
Getting accepted and preparing for class 17
Attitude is everything 17
Becoming a Star Learner 18
Making your way around your classroom 18
Meeting the instructor, fellow students, and other important folks 18
Communicating with clarity 19
Strengthening your study habits 19
Working well in a group 19
Being part of a bigger world 20
Minding your online manners and ethics 20
Completing and turning in assignments 21
Transitioning after you’re done with school 22
Looking at a Few Special Situations in Online Education 22
Students in kindergarten through high school 22
Learners with disabilities 23
Chapter 2: The Traits and Benefits of Online Learning 25
What Makes Online Learning Different from Traditional Education? 26
Connecting to learning and people via the Internet 26
Working when it’s convenient 28
No loafing! 30
Who Benefits from Online Learning? 30
Adults beyond traditional college age 31
Traditional college students 35
Seniors and retirees 36
High school and homeschooled students 37
Getting a Grip on Potential Pitfalls 39
Online learning isn’t easier 39
Spontaneous, face-to-face discussions are not the norm 39
Determining Whether You’re Ready to Join the World of Online Learning 40
Assessing your own discipline 40
Knowing how you learn 41
Being patient and tolerant 43
Chapter 3: The Equipment and Skills You Need to Succeed 45
Checking Your Technological Readiness 46
Meeting minimum hardware requirements 46
Meeting software requirements 52
Establishing a reliable Internet connection 54
Testing Your Technological Abilities 56
Reading and scrolling efficiently 56
Typing quickly and accurately 56
Organizing folders 57
Navigating the web 59
Downloading and installing software 60
Using email 61
Staying Safe Online 62
Making secure payments 63
Remembering and protecting passwords 63
Ensuring personal security 65
Part 2: Preparing to Be a Learner 67
Chapter 4: Discovering What’s Available Online 69
Examining Different Types of Online Programs and Courses 69
Earning traditional credit 70
Obtaining certifications and other credentials 72
Staying current or retooling for work through MOOCs 73
Continuing your education with a few classes for fun or profit 73
Finding Out Which Institutions Offer Online Programs and Courses 75
Four-year colleges 75
Two-year colleges 78
Competency-based education 79
Other institutions for certificates, professional development, and training 80
Virtual schools for children and teens 80
Checking Out Different Structures of Online Courses 82
Just you and the monitor (fully online) versus blended courses (partly online) 82
Instructor-led courses versus self-paced courses 83
Resources you’re expected to access even for face-to-face courses 87
Asynchronous courses versus synchronous (real-time) courses 87
Finishing Your Schooling Faster with Accelerated Programs and Courses 87
The benefits and challenges of accelerated programs 88
Tips for successfully completing accelerated classes 88
Chapter 5: Doing Your Homework: Evaluating Schools 91
Focusing On What You Need in a School 92
Considering the program you’re interested in 92
Determining whether a program is affordable 93
Checking out class size (and the student-to-instructor ratio) 93
Knowing how much time you can commit and how it may be spent 94
Planning ahead: Figuring out whether your credits will transfer 96
Finding an Accredited School 98
Recognizing the two types of accreditation 99
Seeing the benefits of accreditation 101
Determining whether an online program is accredited 102
Other factors that contribute to an institution’s credibility 103
Talking to the Right People to Find the Answers You Need 104
Talking to an academic advisor about the school 105
Asking a faculty member about the program 108
Chatting with other students about their experiences 110
Narrowing Your Options 111
Chapter 6: Applying to School and Securing the Cash 113
Applying to an Online Program 113
The basic application forms 114
Your personal essay 116
Letters of recommendation 119
Test scores 119
When it’s all due 120
A helping hand to assist you: The recruiter, advisor, or counselor 120
Calculating the Costs of Online Classes 121
Figuring Out How You’ll Pay for Online Classes 123
Do you need financial aid? 123
What types of financial aid are available? 124
Applying for Federal Financial Aid 125
Knowing whether you’re eligible for funds from Uncle Sam 125
Filling out and submitting the FAFSA 125
Chapter 7: Getting Accepted and Prepping for Class 129
Finding Out Whether You’ve Been Accepted or Rejected 129
Registering for Classes 131
Creating a plan with your academic advisor (also known as Coach) 131
Picking your first classes 132
Gathering the information you need in order to register 134
Navigating registration processes 135
Taking action when a course you want is full 135
When in doubt: Talking to your academic advisor 136
Getting Oriented 137
Determining whether an orientation is available and/or required 137
Distinguishing types of orientation programs 138
Participating in orientation 140
Buying Books 142
Knowing which textbooks you need 142
Deciding where to buy your textbooks 142
Buying new or used — that is the question 144
Chapter 8: Mentally Preparing and Having a Technology Mindset 147
Taking On the Right Attitude 147
Understanding growth and fixed mindsets 148
Recognizing that age is just a number 149
Knowing the Tools You Might Use 150
Learning management system: LMS 150
Self-paced learning 151
Taking screen shots 151
Additional tools 153
Storage and the cloud 154
Saving what you need 155
You Don’t Have to Know Everything 157
Mastering New Tools Quickly 158
Part 3: The Virtual Classroom: Being an A+ Student 161
Chapter 9: Navigating the Learning Environment 163
Reaching Your Virtual Learning Environment 163
Using the right address and setting some Internet options 164
Logging in and checking out the interface 165
Finding your course’s home page 166
Locating and Understanding Critical Documents 168
The syllabus, or course outline 169
The calendar 170
The grading system 173
Modules and More: Understanding a Course’s Content Organization 176
Attending Live Sessions 178
Discovering the value of virtual office hours 178
Accessing the virtual office 179
Chapter 10: Meeting the People in (and Around) Your Classroom 181
Getting to Know the Folks Who Are Front and Center 182
Acquainting yourself with your instructor 182
Interacting with fellow students 187
Seeing Who’s Behind the Scenes 190
Noting classroom guests and observers 190
Calling on technical support 191
Let me “Google that” for you 195
Receiving academic support 195
Developing your personal support system 198
Chapter 11: Communicating Clearly Online 199
Checking Out Methods of Communicating Online 199
Instructor-to-class communication in news and announcements 200
Learner-to-learner communication in discussions 201
One-on-one communication via private email or messaging 202
Creating and Putting Forward an Online Persona 205
Depicting positive personality traits online 205
Developing relationships 209
Participating in Discussions 210
Understanding why you’re asked to discuss 210
Organizing discussions in different ways 210
Figuring out discussion requirements 213
Avoiding overposting 213
Tapping into Social Networks 214
Benefitting from communicating outside the virtual classroom 214
Avoiding distractions 216
Chapter 12: Developing Good Study Habits for Online Courses 217
Setting Aside Time to Learn 217
Working at your peak times 218
Checking in every day for a short time 218
Calculating how much time you need to finish longer tasks 219
Blocking off enough study time each week 221
Navigating the Web Efficiently 221
Keeping multiple browser windows open 222
Avoiding time wasted by chasing links 223
Using social bookmarking tools 224
Reading Wisely 226
Finding the stuff you need to read 226
Deciding whether to print online reading material 228
Increasing the font size in your browser to help you read more easily 229
Taking notes on what you read 229
Keeping track of everything you’ve already read 230
Visiting the Library 232
Accessing the library 233
Doing research online 234
Watching tutorials on the library site 237
Working Offline 238
Chapter 13: Getting a Handle on Group Dynamics 239
Making Your Online Group Successful 240
Introducing yourself in a group forum 240
Establishing a leader and other roles 242
Setting up a group schedule 243
Meeting in real time 244
Using collaborative tools 245
Being patient 251
Resolving Conflicts 251
Understanding the conflicts you may encounter (and handling them) 251
Bringing problems to your instructor’s attention 253
Chapter 14: Recognizing We Are Global 255
Setting the Stage for Global Learning 255
Meeting People around the World 256
Recognizing the value of cultural difference 257
Accessing experts from anywhere 258
Accessing the Internet around the World 258
Considering residential expenses 259
Getting connected outside your home 259
Being aware of restrictions 261
Making the Most of Your Class Time 261
Recognizing what’s different about online classes around the world 261
Adjusting for differences in time zones 262
Joining study groups 263
Chapter 15: Understanding Netiquette and Ethical Behavior 265
Defining and Using Netiquette 265
Communicating politely and respectfully 266
Avoiding stereotyping 269
Recognizing the Importance of Online Ethics 269
Being honest in the written word 270
Showing integrity by following through 270
Respecting privacy and confidentiality 271
Asking before you repurpose prior work 271
Avoiding Plagiarism 271
Defining plagiarism and related concepts 272
Getting the facts on plagiarism 273
Citing sources properly 274
Checking your own work 276
Looking at the penalties for plagiarism 277
Chapter 16: Finishing and Submitting Your Assignments 279
Understanding the Ramifications of Rubrics 280
Breaking down rubrics 280
Using rubrics to your advantage 282
Writing 101 282
Examining different writing styles 282
Knowing what’s expected in your writing 284
Demonstrating critical thinking 286
Completing Different Types of Assignments 287
Mastering papers and projects 287
Participating in discussions 289
Taking quizzes and tests 290
Submitting Assignments 292
Where did you store that file? 292
Attachments! Uploading papers and projects 293
Post, Emily! Submitting discussion posts 294
The Submit button on quizzes and tests 294
Tips for submitting any assignment 295
Understand How and When to Use Media 295
Using images 296
Using infographics 296
Using audio 297
Using video 298
Chapter 17: Building a Portfolio of Work 301
Developing a Body of Work to Take with You 301
Understanding how to use an ePortfolio 303
Checking out typical components of an ePortfolio 303
Choosing a method for creating an ePortfolio 307
Designing a successful ePortfolio 309
Transferring your existing portfolio to the web 311
Getting Help with Finding a Job 312
Benefiting from career services at your school 312
Perusing general job search sites 313
Establishing networks while studying online 314
Part 4: Special Considerations in Online Learning 317
Chapter 18: Educating Students from Kindergarten through High School 319
Understanding Why Kids Are Attending School Online 320
Wanting to be online 320
Needing to be online 320
Seeing the Differences between K-12 and Adult Online Education 321
Safety concerns with children 322
Enhanced parental involvement 323
More real-time opportunities 325
The need to work offline 325
Checking Out Different Kinds of Virtual Schools for Kids and Teens 327
State-funded schools 327
Outsourced instruction and charter schools 330
Private online schools 332
Going Through the K-12 Enrollment Process 333
Finding the right classes 334
Confirming credits before taking classes 334
Understanding articulation agreements 335
Chapter 19: Accessibility in Online Education 337
Determining Whether the Courses You Want to Take Are Accessible 338
Do the courses follow accessibility standards? 339
Are the courses tested for accessibility? 342
How will the school help me if I cannot access information in a course? 343
Disclosing a Disability to Your Chosen Online School 344
Understanding why and when you need to disclose 345
Figuring out what information to disclose 346
Keeping privacy in mind 347
Using Assistive Technology Online 349
Reading web pages with screen readers 349
Transcribing and captioning audio and video files 350
Considering accommodation options for synchronous sessions 351
Part 5: The Part of Tens 353
Chapter 20: Ten Myths about Online Learning 355
Online Learning is Anytime/Anywhere 355
Only Kids Take Online Courses 356
An Online Course is a Helpful Way to Learn How to Use Your Computer 357
You Must Be a Computer Geek to Take an Online Course 357
Online Learning is Easier than Face-to-Face Classes 358
Online Courses Are Lower in Quality than Face-to-Face Courses 359
Online Learning is Always Independent 359
Online Learning is Less Personal than Traditional Learning 360
You Need a Webcam for an Online Class 360
Everyone Cheats Online 361
Chapter 21: Ten Best Practices for Online Learners —Including Self-Care 363
Treat Learning Like It’s a Job 363
It’s Not a Sprint — It’s a Marathon 364
Manage Your Own Expectations 364
Your Calendar is Your Best Friend 365
Advocate for Yourself: Ask for Help 365
Be Present in Class (And Let Your Instructor Know) 366
Give Constructive Feedback 366
It’s Okay to Take a Break 367
Sleep is Good for You 368
Say Thank You 368
Index 369
