Learning on-line is a rewarding and challenging experience for many. It is different from most other distance learning modes of instruction in that you become part of a community of learners in a particular subject. Different from the traditional “independent study”, you will be logging on to your course website with fellow learners and your instructor, participating in asynchronous on-line discussion, and perhaps working in collaboration with others on group assignments.
If you haven’t tried an on-line course yet, you may want to browse through some of the resources below to help you get a feel for it.
If you are enrolled in an online course offered through OLT, you will see an Orientation workshop in your WebCT course list. This link will appear approximately one week prior to the start of term. The workshop is not led by an instructor – instead, you can browse through various modules, selecting those which meet your learning needs.
If you want to learn more about how to be successful in an online course, you will find some useful information by clicking on the links below.
- What You Need to Know – 8 Things to Get a Handle On: Online Learner Competencies
- LEAP – LEAP is your online resource for academic support. Here you will find what you need to help develop your academic skills – everything from tutoring to online Librarians. LEAP has resources and opportunities for students all across the spectrum of learning.
- The Illinois Online Network (in partnership with WebCT) offers some interesting resources. Check out some of the online self evaluation quizzes to see whether online learning is right for you!
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/StudentProfile.asp - University of Guelph – Learning Resources
http://www.open.uoguelph.ca/current/learner-services/resources.aspx - WebCT/Vista Support – Most online courses at UBC use WebCT as the course platform . Login to your Orientation workshop (Orientation to Learning Online) and check out the tutorials and short videoclips to get oriented to the various components of WebCT. http://www.elearning.ubc.ca