This page is part of the 2016 Lane website archive, and is presented for historical reference only.

Tips for Online Students

Tips for Online Students

Taking a class online is much different that a traditional class. Some students thrive in the online atmosphere, and some students struggle to keep up. Our department has put together some tips to help all students be successful in an online class.

Update Your Profile

  • Email address: Please include an email address that you will check frequently. This is how the instructor and other students will contact you. (If you do not want other students to be able to view your email address, you may change that in the next section.)
  • Email activated: If you have your email address disabled, when you send your instructor an email, he or she will only be able to reply to you within Moodle. Some instructors prefer to respond to email as they receive it, and when the email is disabled, the message bounces back as undeliverable. For prompt replies from your instructor, do not disable your email.
  • Email digest type: The default setting of "No digests" will allow each email message sent from Moodle to be sent to your email. If you would prefer to have one "digest" of Moodle messages, then choose one of the other settings.
  • Forum tracking: This will allow you to keep track of forum postings you have seen. For classes that require forums, it is best to have this option set to highlight new posts for you.
  • Current picture: Adding a photo is optional, but it will allow your instructor and other students to have a way to connect with you. This is especially helpful when the course requires forum postings.

Technology Requirements

  • You will be required to have an e-mail account that you access frequently. The e-mail address assigned to you in Moodle is the one you have listed in ExpressLane. If the ExpressLane e-mail address is outdated, please update it in ExpressLane as well as in Moodle.
  • Your instructor will use the e-mail address listed in Moodle to contact you, and other students may use that email address as well.
  • You must have access to a computer with a good Internet connection. If the course is a software course, you will need to have access to that software program (and current version) as well.
  • You must be able to keyboard at a reasonable speed.
  • You must understand how to search for files and upload them to Moodle.
  • You should disable any pop-up blockers for your browser. Quizzes and Microsoft Word documents will open in a new window. If you cannot see them, it is likely that you have a pop-up blocker operating. If the pop-up blocker is active, you should see a yellow bar below the toolbar.
  • If you are using a Macintosh computer, it is your responsibility to know how to use the software on your computer. You should also verify that the software required for the course is available on a Macintosh.
  • Upload your assignments in the format specified by the instructor.

E-mail Communication

Most communication in your online class will be via e-mail. There are several options that relate to your e-mail.

  • You may opt to turn off receiving emails, in which case you will only see your e-mails when you log into Moodle.
  • You may choose to receive on "digest" per day with e-mail messages.
  • You may also choose to have your email address hidden from the other members of the class.
  • To email another studentfrom Moodle, click on the Participants link on the left side of the screen. Locate the student, and click on the name. Then click on the send message button.
    • To view previous messages, click on the Message History link at the top of the message window.

How to be successful in an online course

  • Thoroughly review the course schedule.
    • Know when assignments are due and how they are to be submitted
    • Understand any projects and related timelines
  • Regularly read announcements, forums, and your instructor's feedback.
  • Schedule your time.
  • Be self-directed and begin working on each week's assignments early in the week so you will have time to communicate via email if there are questions.
  • Do not wait until the last minute to begin quizzes. Quizzes will close at the scheduled time, and if you are in the middle of the quiz, you will be logged out.
  • Do not wait until the last minute to upload assignments. Technological problems are the student's responsibility. Many instructors do not take late assignments, and waiting until the last minute is not a valid excuse.

Your Homework

  • You are responsible for submitting your homework ON TIME. After the due date, the upload features will not be displayed.
  • Understand clearly the deadlines for submitting homework.
  • If you are uploading a file, you must browse to find the file and then press the submit button to upload it.
  • You may only upload one file in the upload link. Therefore if you have multiple files to submit for an assignment, you will need to zip or compress them into one file before submitting.
  • If you upload multiple files, only the last file will appear.
  • After your homework is graded, you may review your instructor's feedback by returning to the homework screen.

Taking Quizzes

  • Make sure you know the deadline date and time. Moodle will log you off if you are in the middle of a quiz. Do not wait until the last minute.
  • Also, learn whether your quiz is timed or if you have multiple attempts.
  • For some quizzes, you may save your quiz and resume it at a later time.
  • You may not be able to view your responses or the correct answers until the quiz deadline has passed.

Grades

You should periodically review your grades and the instructor's feedback. If there are any questions or concerns, contact your instructor immediately.

  • Click on the Grades link at the left side of the Moodle page.
  • You cannot depend on your grade in Moodle being your final grade. Some instructors do not keep all their grades in Moodle. Grades for class participation or assignments not graded in Moodle may be recorded elsewhere.