Characteristics of 'Online' Students

Online learning is a relatively new field in education. However, there are certain characteristics of learners that are more conducive to success in an online course than other characteristics. Understanding these characteristics can be of great assistance in designing an online course that will encourage student participation and ensure student motivation.

Characteristics of “successful” online students

Practically anyone can accomplish anything they set out to, however, there are degrees of achievement, and the most successful online student will possess very specific character traits. Understanding these common traits will assist in designing a rich online experience for all students. A necessary word of caution should be heeded at this point by online course developers: not everyone taking online courses hold all the characteristics of successful online students. True!! If a developer designs a course simply to encourage successful students, there will be many students who will not have a successful experience. Just as teachers and instructional designers for more traditional courses must keep in mind the needs of all learning styles, so must the online course developer.

In An Interesting Profile-University Students who Take Distance Education Courses Show Weaker Motivation Than On-Campus Students, Qureshi, Morton and Antosz, present some interesting characteristics of those who participate in distance educational experiences. This is not to say that these are the characteristics of successful students, but they are characteristics of those students involved in distance education. These students “tended to be older and self-disciplined with good verbal skills.” They were also likely to be female, married or divorced, with children and reasons why they could not attend traditional campus settings. Interestingly enough, these students also tended to be less motivated, for whatever reasons, than students on campus.

The Illinois On line Network and the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois goes a step further by offering suggestions on the characteristics needed to be a successful online student. Some of their suggestions are very obvious, such as the need for the online student to have a computer and online access. Other suggestions are necessary for success for any student, such as being able to communicate through writing, making valid contributions to class discussions, and thinking before responding. Fortunately, the nature of asynchronous learning allows student the time to form their answers carefully, before posting their intelligent comments.

However, there are some suggestions that are particularly specific to online learning. To be successful in an online course, students must be open about sharing. In online courses, the teacher is no longer the expert, but rather a facilitator. The students learn from each other, their experiences and their thoughts. The facilitator leads the way, but the students find the knowledge themselves. In essence, the online course functions as an online community.

Successful students also need to be self-motivated and self-disciplined, as they are responsible to themselves and to the other members of the community. The learning takes place in an asynchronous manner, meaning that there is no common meeting time, no attendance records.

The student must complete the work according to due dates and the teacher is not there to constantly remind the student to keep up with the work. The student must commit the time needed to complete the work without constant supervision.

To be successful, the online student must also be able to ask for help directly, as the teacher cannot use traditional techniques for identifying student concerns or issues. At the same time, the student must be a critical-thinker and problem solver, able to find solutions and make decisions.

Most importantly, students must truly believe that the online experience is as valid as the traditional classroom experience. If a student does not feel that the program is of the same high quality as the traditional campus experience, the student will not put in the effort required to be successful.

Encouraging student participation and motivation

Armed with the knowledge of what qualities, attitudes and habits a student must have to be successful in an online setting, the designer should think about what elements to include that will encourage students to actively participate in the course. The course should be designed in order to encourage the development of the characteristics needed for success, not just in order to satisfy those who have the characteristics already.

Teaching online is really about teaching through discussion. The course may include various strategies for the student to develop knowledge, but it is through discussion that the online course moderator is able to see the student put the knowledge to use. The goal of the moderator then is to make contributing to the online discussion as attractive and personable as possible. Since different students have different comfort levels when using technology and for participating, the moderator must work to draw all members of the group into the discussion.

The use of graphics and humor will encourage active participation. The moderator should provide humorous reflections of their own in discussion groups and in emails to the students, without encouraging students to look to them for all the answers. The moderator must also provide certain information such as: class syllabus, schedules, links to required reading material, and additional resources. Also necessary are technical directions that are unique to online learning: how to use chat rooms, post messages, how to email completed assignments, how to navigate the online course site.

Short mini- lectures are more effective than long lectures. Smaller pieces of information followed by a few probing questions. Debates, game playing, role playing, journal-keeping, group projects, personal telephone calls from instructor to student (if possible), posting photographs of participants (with permission) to add visual cues to written contributions, and maintaining a sense of humor can all help the moderator develop a sense of real community in an asynchronous online experience.

Conclusion

The goal of the instructor, regardless of type of learning environment, must be to ensure that all students attain success. In the online learning environment, this goal is combined with the need to encourage students to participate in discussions and to motivate students to complete the course. Understanding the characteristics needed by students in order to be successful in an online course will greatly aid the designer as they develop the course as well as the instructor who is moderating the course. This is not an impossible task, but it does require forethought, concern for the needs of the students and insight into what works and what does not work.