What is a course orientation? Do I really need this?
Sure! It can't hurt! Are you really ready to learn online? Take this Online Learning Readiness Questionnaire.
Consider how, generally speaking, online learning differs in some key respects from traditional face-to-face learning:
| Face-to-face Characteristic | Online characteristic | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Primarily instructor-managed | Primarily student-managed | Increased student responsibility to actively manage the pace,effort, and progress in learning |
| Synchronous | Asynchronous | Instructor and student are usually not online at the same time (and may be separated by one or more time zones) |
| Scheduled time and place | No scheduled time and place | Online is more flexible but the familiar structure of class meetings is missing |
| Spontaneous, instant clarification and discussion | Planned instruction with less immediate feedback and dialog | Face-to-face explanation is easy, immediate, and regular,but questions, feedback, and grading take longer online |
| Naturally strong instructor presence; sense of learning in a familiar group | The student must work harder to establish rapport with the instructor and other students | The online student often feels less connected, even isolated |
| May rely more on listening and speaking than reading and writing | Relies heavily on a student's abilities to read and write well | Nearly all dynamic interaction(unplanned dialog)between an instructor and student will be text-based, requiring careful reading and clear writing |
| Less reliance on the reliability of technology used | Technology reliability is critical | Loss of Internet connectivity,slow media playback, recurring browser crashes, or many other difficulties can stop all progress until resolved |
In this orientation you will:
- Review the syllabus closely for course requirements, due dates, policies, and the like
- Ensure that you can locate and access all course content and play all media
- Clarify what is expected of you as a student and what you may reasonably expect from your instructor
- Receive answers to many questions you likely have
- "Meet" your instructor by attending a course meeting.
- Reckon with the nature of online learning, both positive and negative aspects