A long-time friend wrote me today to tell me she had started a program to get her BS in Human Resources with an online university. She asked me for tips, as I am an alumnus of that university. I told her the following:
- Get used to the fact that learning is self-directed. Manage your time well. Always read the syllabus carefully. Print it out and highlight important points. Schedule your assignments in your calendar.
- Always get the readings done before Tuesday. Post as early as possible. Go through an orientation so that you know how to use the LMS (Learning Management System).
- Find out how to use the library. Use scholar.google.com to search for articles.
- Get a good reference manager, such as EndNote, to help you capture and organize your references.
- No matter what format you need to use (MLA or APA), learn as much as you can about it. I use a program called StyleEase to help me format papers. It’s much easier than trying to do it on my own.
- When in doubt, email your professor with questions/concerns and keep the lines of communication open. That’s what they are there for. You will find that they are not as into lecturing as professors at ‘brick-and-mortar’ schools. They rely on learners to collaborate together to construct meaning.
I imagine that most of you obtained a bachelor’s degree after attending a “brick-and-mortar” school. I did, the first time around. As a result, it might take some time getting used to an online program. In a traditional environment, going to class means leaving your car in the parking lot or leaving your dorm and walking across campus to your classroom or lecture hall. You wedge yourself into a desk and spend the next two to three hours with your classmates and the professor. Contrast this experience to the typical online experience. The first major difference, of course, is that of physical proximity. We are never in the same room as our peers or professors.
For many online programs, the format is asynchronous and classes rarely meet. In my previous school, I could not identify a professor’s voice nor could I pick out a professor by his or her picture. Students would post in forums each week and although they were usually quite lively, our facilitators did not find it necessary to inject too much into the conversation. The most feedback we received was on our papers, which were due every week and were usually a minimum of 10 pages.
Luckily, the MAT@USC is not your typical online program. Our format is so much better, in my opinion. During class, you get to meet and interact with people from all over the country and from many different cultures. Once you become accustomed to synchronous discussions over the Internet, you tend to forget you’re not all in the same room. Using web conferencing can be disconcerting at first (I simply hated seeing myself on video), but now I don’t notice it as much.
It will take some time to adjust to an online format, but the benefits are many. In school, you were used to producing papers and handing them in, literally. Now, it’s all done through the wonders of the LMS, the learning management system. Rather than get back papers with red ink all over them and work hard to decipher your professor’s handwriting, you can get them back and all the comments are readable. One of the best parts for me is that instead of having to physically go to a library, you have most, if not all of the resources you need online or in your required books for the semester. When I was in college in the 90s, it cost a nickel to make a copy; now you can get all the resources you need for free! Using Google Scholar, you can instantly access a resource you need, download a citation and get started on that paper. Oh, and one of the things I noticed about graduate school in general: exams are few and far between. The courses are designed to be writing intensive; papers and posts demonstrate learning rather than exams. For me, that is a blessing.
What are some other benefits to online learning? Let’s face it: we’re saving on dorm fees and gas. We’re also saving time. Since many of us work full time and might be parents, it is so much easier to join class from a remote location than it is to make arrangements to be in a particular place at a particular time. From my perspective, online education has helped me to raise my child as I wish and to pursue my education at the same time. I find it convenient, fun, and I have met so many people that I never would have met under normal circumstances. For example, one of the good friends I have made through my online education journey lives is South Dakota. It is doubtful I would have met her any other way. The exposure to various cultures and perspectives has humbled me and fortified me at the same time.
Do you enjoy this format of learning as much as I do? What has your experience been transitioning to an online program? Do you agree or disagree with my sentiments? I would love to hear from you!
If you’d like to know more about how MAT@USC can prepare you to earn your teacher certification online and make a difference in your local community, contact our Admissions office at 888.MAT.1USC or email us at matadmit@usc.edu.
