Online Education: You Versus the Clock

Posted by Jen Zeman on January 30th, 2009

Time management is not as difficult as many people believe it to be. I admit not having children made prioritizing and managing time a little easier for me; however, those readers who have children can hopefully take some of this advice and tweak it to their specific needs.

When I attended UMUC for my online degree, I also worked full-time while taking three classes a semester. I knew I had a lunch hour, some evenings, a full weekend, and vacation days I could leverage in completing my school work. My employer offered flex time, so I also had off every other Friday which helped tremendously. If your employer doesn’t currently offer flex time, perhaps now would be the ideal time to propose it your boss. Before the start of each semester I would map out the major projects that were due and scheduled off accordingly. For example, if in mid-October a major paper was due, I would schedule a couple of days off a few weeks prior to allow me time to complete the paper, without stressing out. The less stress, the more successful you will be!

Before starting my classes I decided to come up with a game plan in order to quash my fears and guarantee my success. The game plan was simple: organized time management. Being organized is by far the number one way to guarantee success with an online college and to effectively manage your time. It is essential to devise a plan of how you will study and complete assignments. Here are the five tactics I used:

1. Plan your semester prior to the start of the semester. If you work full-time, schedule days off strategically so you can give yourself enough time to complete major class assignments/projects without scrambling at the last minute. This will alleviate a ton of stress.
2. Assign a separate binder for each class you take a semester. Print the syllabus and put it in the front of the binder. This eliminates confusion and a constant search for important documents. Even though all your required documents will be available to you online, having them at your fingertips makes life less stressful.
3. Assign a designated room in your home as your “school zone”. Make it a place where you can close a door and have privacy for studying and completing assignments.
4. In this room, hang a large white board on the wall. Use this to write down assignments and major projects for each class, along with corresponding due dates. It is a great feeling erasing completed projects off the board! This was a lifesaver for me.
5. Stick to your allotted school hours. If you plan on using Saturday morning for studying and school assignments, let everyone know not to bother you – you will be unavailable. Sit down and complete school work first before anything else! The laundry can wait! In fact, while in school, to make the most of time management, reschedule your household chores to make the most of your off time. For example, if you always do the laundry and grocery shopping Saturday morning, start doing one load of clothes a night Monday through Thursday and do the grocery shopping Friday evening.

Time management is crucial for success in an online college situation. Master it now for a stress-free college experience now through graduation!

Keeping up with the Online Discussion

Posted by Benae Lambright on July 14th, 2008

Many people feel that enrolling in an online program is not compatible to an on-ground learning experience. Yes, there are many differences between the two methods of instruction, but one thing that does not differ is student participation. In the online environment it is more critical to participate in the discussion- it is usually a significant part of your grade.

 

Discussion boards helped to foster a community of learners that share ideas, knowledge, suggestions and debate. The conversation in a traditional classroom can range from spirited to low-key or non existence and so can the discussion in an online classroom. The average online course will have weekly discussions that require students to participate by submitting a reply to a posted question or scenario and then responding to their classmates’ posted answers to the same question. This process allows for the students to share their learning as well as comment on others by offering positive feedback. Positive feedback can be in the form of encouragement and agreement to a classmates posted retort or it can be by sharing an alternative perspective. One thing that all classroom participants must understand is that it is okay to disagree or have a different opinion from their classmates. Usually classmates tend to agree on the discussed topic, it is common that the instructor has the diverse opinion. But remember, the instructor and students must use the course material as a guide and resource.

 

Another important part of the discussion board is to frequently visit the forum. The student will be given a deadline to post and respond to the unit’s discussion board. Within that time frame it is recommended that a student visit the discussion at least three times. This may not always be an easy task to have the accessibility or time to accomplish this, but as a commitment to yourself and your classmates, if all involved attempt to frequent the board and share, the dialogue will remain engaging and educe others to contribute.

 

If the online learner can schedule three times out of the unit to post to the discussion board, the dialogue between classmates and the instructor will be constant and on-topic. A way to ensure your participation in the unit’s discussion is to:

 

• Read and Post to the discussion within the first 24 hours of the unit’s opening.
• Return to the discussion board within 48- 72 hours of your initial post to answer others that may have commented to your response and reply to your classmates’ original post.
• If possible, return to the discussion within the last day or two before the unit ends. At this time you will share any further thoughts you have developed from the readings, seminars, essays or other resources you have experienced throughout the week.

 

This formula for “active participation” may not be an easy task to commit to. If you are able to meet these minimum recommendations, you can gain so much from the experience. Give it a try! There are probably many ways to stay abreast of the discussion and be a part of the classroom conversation.

When Working Mothers Enroll in an Online Degree Program

Posted by Benae Lambright on July 2nd, 2008

Making the decision to begin college for the first time or return to school as an adult is not an easy decision to make. Many times you will question this choice because of the challenge you see before you. In the past, if you choose to enroll in college your choice was to either register at the local community college or 4-year University. Today, attending classes at an on-ground institution is still an option but with the many advances in technology, distance education has become an advantage for many, especially the working mother.

A mother who works full-time spends about 10 hours of their day managing household activities, caring for household members, purchasing goods and services and their work related responsibilities, according to a report by the United States Department of Labor. If you add in sleep, leisure, sports and travel, you will begin to wonder how you incorporate going back to school, into your already busy day. Time management and organization are two pivotal ways to accomplish this goal. Just as you map out your plans for you children’s day, you must also make school a priority. It may not be as easy as you would like, but some planning in the beginning will save you a lot of worries later on during your course.

Just as school age children are being taught to brainstorm, plan and implement the many skills learned, we as adults can learn from this elementary practice. By using a calendar to schedule your day, you can limit the amount of confusion you face between class deadlines and carpooling your children to the many activities they are involved in, but require your participation. Find which method fits your style best: paper calendars that are available in notebook or pocket -size planners or if you are more tech savvy, you may prefer to keep your calendar in a software program or on your cell phone. One suggestion is to utilize your college’s email and calendar options. This will get you in the habit of checking your online course page daily. Logging into your class daily or quite frequently helps to minimize you missing announcements and updates from your instructor and encourages you to participate in the course’s discussion boards, seminars or other asynchronous formats used by your online college or university.

After you select what will be used to schedule your day, then it is advisable to schedule your “class time”. This is the time that you will devote to school. During this time you can read assignments, take online quizzes, post to discussion boards, write your papers or just study your notes. Just as you would have a set time to attend an on-ground class, you are devoting a specific time for you to complete your work. This dedicated “class time” should be organized and a commitment that you and your family should try to respect. When the working mother decides to embark on their distance learning experience, it is encouraged that this decision is supported by the whole family. It is very hard to comprehend what you are trying to learn if you are constantly interrupted by someone else wanting your attention. This time may have to be once the children are in bed or a few hours before the get up in the morning, but it needs to be uninterrupted time that will allow you to meet the weekly class requirements in a timely fashion. Because you are not able to see the instructor and your classmates face to face, your frequent participation in the learning process helps to build a community of learners.

The role of the working mother student is not easy, but it has so many rewards if you are able to stay on track. The completion of your degree may seem like an eternity, an impossible feat or just a challenge that you may not want to take on, but with effective organizational and time management skills, you can find your learning experience to be a lot more enjoyable, less stressful and a goal that is not that hard to reach.

Resources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor. May 2008. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus2.t02.htm