Hey Everyone, I'm new here. And to being a student online. But this forum looks abuzz with important knowledge. I'm happy to have found it... Because as a continuing distance learning student, I find school-life online can be a little isolating. Have you felt this before? Do you have any ideas, strategies or coping mechanisms you (or your school) use to help alleviate some of the frustrations that come with online learning (or teaching?) Students, instructors and administrators, any ideas?
I think you've found a very valuable resource in this website....online/distance students frequently come here to vent, ask advice, and generally look for support, which I believe they find in abundance.
Welcome to the site, I'm a newcomer myself, and don't know enough about the subject to offer an intelligent suggestion or any advice, but wanted to welcome you--- The question you ask is a good one. I guess the isolation can get to you, yes. And I have felt it although a little less so where an online program included mandatory class discussions. Some programs I've seen have an option whereby class members can in fact informally discuss things, but I haven't seen a lot of schools with that online feature. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here, so I'll step aside and let them answer your question themselves.
When I was working on my DPA at Valdosta there were some periods where I felt isolated, especially after I completed my coursework with residencies and was working on my dissertation. One of the best things that I did to keep me focused and feeling like I was a "real" student was to get borrowing privledges as a visiting student at several university libraries in my area. Check with the libraries of any college near you and see what their process is - they will likely have visiting student, community member, etc. classifications that allow you to check out materials on a limited basis. Another benefit is that they will have academic resources that you will not be able to find in a public library. This forum was also a great source of inspiration and support for me as well.
University libraries - great idea I did a fair bit of my education as a 'distance student' taking many 'print based' courses. I found keeping to a set schedule helped a lot...but isolation was a problem. I wrote and phoned my professors often, probably too often! :cool2:
Learning online is a great privilege because you control your time. However, you are limited to learning by yourself but as the internet provides a wide scope you have all the information within one click. Make sure that you have a schedule for your modules and that you religiously follow them. It makes you on track.
This is one issue that I continue to have with DL in general, and with asynchronous DL programs in particular. Majority of asynchronous programs are overly passive, and you'll quickly find out that the discussion forum is just another "open forum" with no real engagement other than repetitive posts (such as "I agree) from students, and minimal participation by the course professor. In fact, at the end of some asynchronous classes, your experience won't be different from just reading a book you bought from amazon over the same time period as the class duration. To significantly improve your experience, as well as, to get that sense of community and engagement, join a program that incorporates a synchronous component (as optional); being able to join a "live" class discussion or even see your classmates and/or the professor through live video can and will significantly improve your learning experience. Otherwise, yes, asynchronous programs are notorious for extreme passivity, to the extent that they become correspondence programs, where you basically pay a school for them to tell you what to study all by yourself, with no meaningful engagement or interaction other than grading of papers by your so called professors. Again, to avoid this issue, consider enrolling at school that incorporates synchronous activity into it programs, to enliven your learning experience - afterall you pay for it.
Yes, I agree. The discussion boards are an absolute waste of time and, IMO, are just there to satisfy the accreditors that there is some discussion going on. You pretty quickly learn how to make the noises that the instructor wants to hear and get your points without much actual engagement. I also agree that synchronous components are what is missing in many online programs. They become a logistics nightmare when attempts to coordinate schedules from across the country or even around the globe are involved. I don't know how to work that kind of thing out, but it needs to be done if online classes are to ever gain the respect of academia.
It will be difficult to actually overcome the isolation factor. If you need the personal contact, it is possible that online classes are not for you. My daughter tried them and absolutely hated them.
Considering the huge number of major research universities that offer online classes, I didn't realize that online classes didn't already have the respect of academia. If one is able to set aside the time necessary for synchronous classes on someone else's schedule, then what good is online education to adult learners to begin with?
Cestudent, You are not alone with those concerns. Online school isn't for everyone, and even those who enjoy it can feel senses of isolation. One recommendation is to contact the school. Although you may be online, they usually have advisors, study groups, or other resources designed to keep you engaged and helped throughout your education. Another option is to search through forums like these or google around. Just because you are in one part of the country doesn't limit you to help from another. Good luck!
If you are a introvert like me you will love the isolation of an online class but will want some cohorts to share your private educational experience with at the end of the week. This is what I am missing in school. I used to go to the pub at my local B&M and talk about classes, girls, teachers, and life in general back in college. I did not like being in study groups, group projects, sitting in a class full of people, but after slogging through a bunch of exams and papers I would like a place to chat about the experience and reflect on it with others. I found this pretty accurate description of ten myths about introverts online. It is pretty accurate as far as I am concerned. 10 Myths About Introverts « Owl City Blog
For me the problem was that the time I spent on my studies was time that I previously spent with friends. My friends would go out or to each others houses and when they'd call me the answer was always "I can't do it because I have to study..." The main thing that I did was to schedule my social fun. It seems a bit counterintuitive but I found that if I actually scheduled my social life then not only did I feel less isolated but it also motivated me to get all my schoolwork done on time.
Thanks for all of your insightful comments. Just hearing that many of you have similar experiences is reassuring to me. A lot of your observations resonate deeply with me. There are many facets of online learning that I enjoy... For example, I appreciate what Cyber said about asynchronous courses becoming extremely passive. And ryoder, your remarks about a desire to reflect and chat on your experience are very much what I feel as well. I am not a big fan of the 500 person lecture hall "classes" I received in my undergrad. I'm happy to put my head down and tear through a textbook. But once I'm done, I want to tell someone about what I've just accomplished (or struggled to accomplish, as the case often is...) For those of you that suggested using libraries at my local universities and seeing what study or discussion groups are around, this is a tact I will definitely investigate further. I appreciate the actionable advice. Finally, I love the validation regarding the importance of a schedule. And I don't just mean disciplined study. I'm also talking about scheduling social and other extra curricular activities.
I've been finding the lack of community to be a big problem with online learning as well. It can be isolating, especially because I feel like I have ideas on how to fix some of the problems, but there is no one I can bring them to. I recently stumbled upon this video, about an online community for learners and profs and everyone in between. I'm going to try to get involved. Meet the EvoLLLution - YouTube
Online Learner, thanks for sharing this video. I just watched it. I found the website and am going to try and learn more. Can you please post back here if you manage to get involved or learn anything more? Thanks!
Try taking a degree earned online and getting a job at a B&M university. I'm especially puzzled by the double standard when universities that offer degrees earned online refuse to hire someone with such a degree.
I've seen several people with DL degrees holding positions at B&M schools.....granted, not tenured professors, but a tenured position is not what most DL people are looking for anyway.
