Self-Assessment of Readiness for Online Learning
You may think that online courses are “easier”–that is generally not true. The part that is easier is the flexibility you may have about deciding when and where you will do your work. The hard part is you need to be much more responsible for your own learning.
Are you one of the students who will find online courses more challenging? Are you a student who may will find online learning very rewarding?
The Distance Education Committee at West Liberty University strongly recommends that first-time freshmen and students with a GPA below 2.0 not undertake online learning. Research shows that your likelihood of success is reduced as compared with a face-to-face classroom setting.
To be successful in an online course you need to have strong time management skills and a desire to undertake student-centered learning. In addition, you need to have dependable access to the internet and some basic computer skills. Your responsibilities as the learner will increase at the same time you gain flexibility in scheduling your time in the course.
To help you decide if you are a good candidate for online learning, you may wish to use the following tool. You will need to do an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as you make your selections. Review your results and let what you learn guide you in your decisions about online learning.