Survival Skills for the Online Classroom: A Diagnostic Essay

Do you have what it takes? Online learning has taken education from the classroom to the living room. This change in environment inevitably comes with a different set of survival skills and characteristics for the student in order to excel. So what are the survival skills and characteristics needed in order to successfully participate in this new and rewarding realm of education?

Before we analyze the skills needed for learning in the online classroom, let's first look at the environment in which we are talking about. We are talking about a classroom without walls, where instead of packing up the books and heading to class the student fires up the computer and logs onto a virtual classroom. As in anything in life there are apparent ups and downs to this sort of learning, and first we will briefly look at the positive sides of this sort of instruction. For the student without reliable transportation and who lives a distance from the school, online learning offers the chance to participate in a class without having to find a way to get there. Likewise, for the courageous student that is trying to carefully juggle work and school, the virtual classroom allows a lot more flexibility for scheduling school into the often hectic day to day schedule.

On the opposite end of the spectrum we have the apparent down-sides to the online learning environment. First off there is the lack of structure, if one does not go through a physical process of going to class and listening to an instructor it is sometimes hard for people to conceptualize the fact that they are in class and have the same responsibilities that they would have if they were physically sitting in a classroom. There is also no instructor there to sit down at the end of the class period and go over any questions or concerns that one may have about the topics that are being covered within the course material.

This brief synopsis of the ups and downs of online learning is in no way complete, it is just a quick overview of some of the more apparent attributes. However, we will now look at the skills and characteristics needed for the student that wishes to excel within this online world. First off the student needs to be self-motivated. There is no one waiting in the classroom to tell a student that they are behind or that they need to show up to class, the online environment is such that it places more emphasis on taking responsibility for one's own actions. Next, one must have at least a basic level of computer skills in order to participate in online discussions, turn in papers, and to interact with the instructor. This is an essential part of one's ability to successfully complete an online course. Last, the student that wishes to excel in the online classroom must have very good organizational skills. There are assignments due, discussion boards to be attended, and a plethora of other activities that need to be addressed within an online learning course, all of these things must be balanced and taken into account when using this medium of education.

In conclusion, there are several skills and characteristics required in order to excel within the online learning environment. There are both ups and downs to this progressive style of learning, and it is up to the student to decide whether or not this new and rewarding realm of education is right for them.