Learning from the faceless instructor

Taking a online course requires dedication, computer skills and patience. To beable to commit yourself to taking a online course is the first step.

You must be willing commit your time to the computer and not a human. You must be willing to set aside the time to read and complete assignments given by your instructor. The excuses "my car won't start", "its to cold to go to class" is not a option. You need to make yourself a schedule for the week, like you were physically attending a class, and complete the assignments.

Computer skills are a must for an online course. Being able to communicate with your instructor via e-mail, blackboard, blogs, etc.. is not a option, it is a requirement for a online course. You also need to understand how to retrieve and send documents via the internet, or know where to go for help.

Patience is also important, it may take a day or two to get an answer to your questions, do you stop and wait? No, you move on so that you don't get behind in class. Also, if you have taken a test, it may take the instructor a few days to get the results back to you, which if you are like me, I tend to get nervous if it takes to long.

Online courses are the new classrooms available in your home, with the exception that you can come to this class in your pajamas.