| Online Learning Sounds Right For Me! How do I | | | | class must be built into the online environment. |
| choose a program? | | | | Well-designed courses combine the talents of faculty |
| Ready to dig into the details and choose the online | | | | and professors, hands-on teachers, graphic designers, |
| learning program that best fits your needs and | | | | instructional designers, programmers, animators, and |
| circumstances? Trying to choose the best online | | | | experts in web programs. All of these components |
| school for you? Since geographic location is not part | | | | are extremely important in providing successful online |
| of the criteria, you literally have thousands of | | | | learning. |
| programs and online universities to choose from. | | | | What Does a Well-Designed Course Look Like?o |
| However, you can't depend on name recognition | | | | Clear organizationo Clear goals and objectiveso |
| alone. Remember, online schools vary in what they | | | | Thorough instructions for all assignments and other |
| offer and how they deliver education. And price is | | | | course logisticso Instructionally appropriate media |
| not a reliable indication of an online univerities's value. | | | | (graphics, audio/video, animations, etc.)o Opportunities |
| So here is some helpful information to help you | | | | for interactiono Activities that encourage students to |
| choose the best online college for your online degree. | | | | be active learnerso Student resources (library, |
| Start with Statistics | | | | tutoring, technical support, etc.)o Clear content that's |
| Track Record | | | | easy to read and aesthetically pleasing |
| An online university can have glitzy advertising about | | | | What Does a Poorly Designed Course Look Like?o |
| how easy it is to earn a degree, but its graduation | | | | Unclear content organization, unclear navigationo |
| and drop out rates tell the true story. If retention | | | | Incomplete or wrong information in the syllabuso |
| rates are low, it probably means students are not | | | | Unclear expectations and learning objectiveso |
| being taught well at that particular online school. | | | | Incomplete or missing instructions for class |
| Experience | | | | participation, homework assignmentso No clear |
| It has taken years for online universities to learn how | | | | communication plano Few opportunities for students |
| to best design courses, train faculty, and serve online | | | | to interact with other students, instructors, or the |
| students. Quality institutions continuously learn about | | | | course material itselfo Poor content presentation |
| and develop new methodologies. Some major | | | | (typos, errors, text-heavy and difficult-to-read |
| universities have the name recognition, but do their | | | | materials, technical problems, etc.)o Assistance and/or |
| online programs have the recognition, too? Be sure to | | | | resources for students are incomplete or missing |
| choose your online college carefully. | | | | *List created by Jennifer Freeman, Course |
| Number of Students in Classes | | | | Development Team Leader, University of Texas |
| In face-to-face classes, you can see how many | | | | System TeleCampus |
| students the professor has to accommodate. Online | | | | Are Student Services Set Up for Online Students? |
| universities who have a low student-to-teacher ratio | | | | Since you most likely can't physically walk into an |
| will proudly publicize it. Those who cram online | | | | office to get what you need, services for online |
| students on a teacher's roster will keep it quiet. | | | | students are an essential component to your success |
| Standards and Practices | | | | and satisfaction. Though you have to be more of a |
| When an online college promotes its standards and | | | | self-advocate than a face-to-face student does, the |
| best practices for quality online education, there has | | | | online degree program you are considering should |
| to be some accountability. Ask about standards the | | | | have someone designated who can help you or point |
| online univerisity has adopted and then check out the | | | | you to someone who can, whether for financial aid, |
| organization that awarded them. Diploma mills are | | | | veterans' affairs, or the library. |
| quite clever in assigning themselves accreditation and | | | | Look to see how clear and accessible information on |
| stamps of approval--caution is necessary if you want | | | | the online school's Web site is for prospective and |
| the best online degree available. | | | | current students. How responsive is the online degree |
| Will This Program Meet Your Needs? Does It | | | | program adviser to your calls or e-mails? Does the |
| Specialize in the Courses You Want? | | | | program provide toll-free numbers for assistance? |
| Some online colleges are strong in business courses, | | | | What You'll Probably Ask a Student Advisoro Is the |
| others in engineering. Take the time to research each | | | | degree program totally online? Students want to |
| online degree program thoroughly and make sure it | | | | confirm if they are required to be on campus for |
| has what you need. Be sure to find out if the | | | | some periods of time during the course.o Is the |
| courses taught focus on what is currently relevant to | | | | degree the same? Students want to be sure their |
| that technical field-it won't help you to graduate | | | | diploma doesn't say something different from |
| without the most up-to-date knowledge. When it | | | | diplomas for on-campus students. Occasionally, a |
| comes to licensing or certification, it's even more | | | | campus that is part of a consortium might have a |
| critical. If you take courses toward a license or | | | | different degree plan.o Do I have to take entrance |
| certificate from an out-of-state online university, | | | | exams? Students assume that online education is |
| make sure the degree, license, or certificate is valid in | | | | different. Most likely you will need to complete |
| the state in which you will use it. | | | | campus admission requirements identical to |
| What Is the Policy for Transferring Credits? | | | | face-to-face students.o What degrees do you offer? |
| Transferring credits between institutions has gotten | | | | Lots of online students think they should be able to |
| better since online education has become more | | | | get any degree that is offered for face-to-face |
| accepted. However, not every institution will accept | | | | students. Because of the use of development |
| online credits. | | | | resources, not every institution can offer every |
| What Happens if I Need to Leave a Course Partway | | | | on-campus degree online.o How do I register? Each |
| Through? | | | | online program is different. The information for |
| For online students with jobs and families, life | | | | registering should be on each institution's website.o |
| sometimes unexpectedly gets in the way of studies | | | | How long will it take to get my degree? How long it |
| and the only way to deal with it is to leave a course. | | | | takes to complete the course work depends on |
| Before enrolling, ask what provisions the online | | | | whether the student attends full- or part-time, and |
| degree program makes if you have to drop a course | | | | on the requirements of the college.o How will I be |
| in the middle. Can you get a refund? What are the | | | | tested? Students want to know if they will have to |
| policies for readmission? | | | | take proctored exams and where their grades will |
| Does the Online Degree Program Have Services for | | | | come from. This information should be clear in the |
| Students with Disabilities? | | | | course information. |
| A program's brochures, Web site, and course catalog | | | | Will You Be Able to Get Tutoring and Mentoring |
| can give you a lot of information on how the online | | | | Online? |
| degree program handles accessibility issues. Some | | | | Students who have been out of school for a long |
| programs have a disabilities coordinator. Ask about | | | | time have a learning curve to climb. Writing papers |
| policies and accessibility. What kinds of | | | | does not come easy. They get discouraged and feel |
| accommodations can students with disabilities expect, | | | | they can't keep up with the homework. Foreseeing |
| such as taking longer to complete tests? | | | | the problems of many new online students, some |
| Consider Who Will Teach You: How Do Teachers | | | | online program providers contract out online tutoring |
| Respond to Students? | | | | services in math or English composition. Others have |
| Every teacher has a different teaching style but in | | | | "dial-a-tutors" available in different languages for |
| online classes, how each teacher teaches is crucial. | | | | students. |
| Student success, in part, depends on the instructor | | | | Does the Library Provide Services for Online |
| at online universities. Ask questions such as "How long | | | | Students? |
| have faculty members taught online?" and "How long | | | | Students on campus spend a lot of time in the library. |
| does it take to get homework back?" and "Do | | | | Digital libraries can be confusing for those not |
| professors answer e-mail frequently?" | | | | accustomed to them, so quality online programs have |
| If at all possible, view a portion of the online course | | | | librarians dedicated to helping their online students |
| before deciding to take it. Note the instructor's | | | | acclimate to their system. What if you are looking for |
| writing and teaching style and expectations. Be sure | | | | a specific journal? You should be able to get in touch |
| there is a clear plan for content presentation, | | | | with your institution's librarian to find it online or have |
| interactivity, communication, and assessment. | | | | it mailed or delivered to you or a library near you. |
| How Are the Teachers Trained to Teach Online? | | | | Faculty members teaching online courses should work |
| Find out how much emphasis an online college gives | | | | with the librarians to make sure the resources |
| to training since institutions have very different ways | | | | needed for their classes are available online. |
| to train. For-profit online institutions usually have | | | | How Helpful Is the Help Desk and Other Technology |
| control over faculty members and can require their | | | | Questions |
| training. However, in institutions with a strong tradition | | | | Be sure to research the technical and technology |
| of faculty and/or union control, such training may be | | | | requirements for online students at each online |
| suggested but not required. | | | | university you are considering. Some programs send |
| Are Teachers Certified and Experienced in Their | | | | enrolled students a CD with free software or provide |
| Fields? | | | | all the materials needed to download from their Web |
| Some online universities use adjunct faculty members | | | | site. A few require students to buy supplemental |
| who are practitioners in their fields. For instance, a | | | | software, such as microphones. Your ISP should be |
| marketing class in health administration might have | | | | able to support being online for long periods of time. |
| the CEO of a health group or a person running the | | | | You do not want to be halfway through an essay |
| health-care system of a senior center develop and/or | | | | question and get bumped off because you have |
| teach the class. Students would work with the CEO | | | | timed out. Ask if there is a tech fee. It is usually not |
| to develop a proactive marketing plan so that they | | | | much, but you will want to know about any extra |
| not only learn information but also use it in real-life | | | | fees. |
| situations. | | | | Will You Get Tech Support When You Need It? |
| How Is the Curriculum Developed? | | | | Online learning programs cannot afford to let |
| Don't assume that just because a history teacher is a | | | | students spend hours on the phone trying to fix a |
| terrific professor in a face-to-face environment that | | | | software hiccup. Since students tend to do |
| he or she has any idea how to transfer that same | | | | assignments at odd hours, tech support should be |
| course information to online classes. The design of an | | | | available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a |
| online course is crucial to student success because | | | | week. |
| the physical cues and interaction of a face-to-face | | | | |