Common mistakes students make in online courses

An area in education that is currently thriving is undertaking courses online. Many learners today rush into online courses but few finish and get certification due to some mistakes students make while signing up for online courses.

Here are some mistakes that are very common among the online students:

1. Ignoring the accreditation

The sole purpose for any student to go for an online course is to help his family and still study to get a good job in the future. But in the course of opting for an online course, the students tend to miss out on something that undermines this purpose. The students tend to ignore the accreditation of the institution. If you want a job,go fo a course from an. So, before taking up a course, check the accreditation of the institution with the federal government. You should also check the website of the program for its credentials and for confirming that they are recognized with the Council of Higher Education.

2. Not managing their time

Managing the time is very important for all the online students. Since there I a very high chance of the student having domestic responsibilities, it makes the management of time even more important. There are times when students can take these online courses for granted. But it is really important to study for at least 10 to 15 hours a week. Also, since the person taking the course is likely to be working, it is very likely that he forgets the deadline of an assignment over an office project. So, one should make sure that he devotes enough time to the course as well.

3. Not resorting to their own learning style

We all know that there is no learning style that suits everybody. Every person in this world has his own learning style. Some people learn better when they study alone while some learn better in a social environment. Some people learn better by just listening to a lecture while some people learn better with a bit of physical involvement. In an online course, you don’t get the social environment that a college can offer. So, before opting for an online course, you should make sure that you are okay with the learning style that an online course offers. If not, you need to find ways to learn in your own way with the online course.

4. Opting for a course without ensuring the availability of required technology

This is something that the students tend to miss out on a lot. If a student has a slow internet connection or has only limited access to computers, he will obviously have a lot of trouble with the course. Therefore, the students should make sure that the technology that he has available with himself matches all the requirements of the institution. Imagine how difficult it would be for a student with limited access to computers to work on an assignment that requires him to make Excel sheets and Power Point Presentations.

5. Procrastinating

“It is just an online class” is the kind of attitude that most of the students keep towards an online course. The students work at their own pace and fail to understand the importance of working regularly. Usually the pace that the students set is a very frantic one. The result is nothing but pressure of last minute pressure of assignments. As a result students drop out or definitely miss out on understanding the assignment.

6. Missing out on reviewing the curriculum

Most of the students take up an online course to help them in advancing in their career and changing them for the better. Therefore, it is very important for the students to check the curriculum of the course that they are taking up. The course that they are taking up should reflect the skills that they require in future.

7. Taking it as an easy task

Since the students have the liberty of working at their own pace, it is very usual for them to consider the online course a very easy one. It is true that the students have a lot more flexibility in an online course, but taking it for an easy task is a mistake. In fact, a student should consider these courses very difficult because he is all on his own. He is just left with his devices.

8. Not researching about the instructors

Although the students are encouraged to never doubt their teachers, but it is always wise to research the instructors in an online course. Teaching online is a different task altogether from teaching in a classroom. Therefore, the students should make sure that the teachers of his course have led a few online courses before this one. It can take a few courses for the teachers as well before they develop all the skills necessary for teaching well in an online course. Therefore, it is always beneficial to have teachers who have got some experience in their bag.

9. Working alone at all times The online courses lack the social interaction that the students get in college. It is impossible for a student to get the same amount of social interaction as in a class, but one should avoid completely working in a bubble. The students should understand that learning online doesn’t mean working in isolation. One should try and interact with fellow classmates virtually and take every chance to meet them in person.

10. Hesitating in asking for help

Every student needs help at certain stages. But the students learning online need a lot more help as they are all on their own. But the students are always hesitant to ask for help. It can lead to many worse situations for the students. Since they are all alone and they do not ask for help, they are very likely to come under pressure and take desperate measures and eventually committing mistakes. Most of the institutions have online counselors to help the students. So, the students should, in no situation hesitate to ask for help. They should understand that the sole reason for an institution to employ a counselor is to help the students and therefore, the students should make the most use of this facility.

By outlining these very common but often ignored little mistakes that students make, it is hoped that future eLearning students will benefit in successfully completing their online degree programs.

Asare Bakae Ishmael(CEO)

Turningpoint Solutions Ghana,

Number one School Management Software Provider.

www.tpsolutionsgh.com

info@tpsolutionsgh.com