How to Be Successful in the Online Classroom

By Regan Barr of The Lukeion Project

Ms. Wilson was the most feared teacher in my elementary school. Gray hair, face contorted into a permanent scowl, a ruler usually within reach. I once personally observed her chasing a student across the playground in heels while she brandished a yardstick. I did well in Ms. Wilson’s class, but I’m not sure if it’s because I was a conscientious student, because she was a great teacher, or because I feared what might happen if I failed. Ms. Wilson was a rare breed, and I don’t think she’d fare well in the online environment. Today online classes are becoming the norm rather than the exception, and any successful student must master a different set of skills to thrive in the internet classroom. Here are the top four habits:

1. Maintain focus during sessions

It was much harder to conceal your inattention when you were trapped in the same physical room as your teacher. Many of us remember the student who hid a comic book inside his propped-up math book or developed a secret sign language to communicate with a friend across the room when the teacher turned her back. But at least they pretended to be engaged. Those days are gone. Instructors can no longer scan the room for distracted minds, dozing pupils, or inattentive troublemakers. They used to bark out a sharp “Thomas, stop that!” to regain their students’ attention, but today’s students can log in without tuning in. Some students simply walk away or turn down the volume on their headset while they spend their time in other pursuits. These same students will later complain that the class is too hard, or that they’re not getting anything out of it.

Online students have far more power over their own educational experience than we did in Ms. Wilson’s classroom. In a world full of electronic distractions, the student who has learned to focus is the student who will succeed. The instructor has taken the time to share his expertise, and the savvy student will use that time to full advantage. The big lie that many students tell themselves is that “I can catch up later, but I don’t really feel like doing this now.” Later never comes, or if it does, it will be twice as hard and take twice as long to master the material without your expert guide.

It takes an act of will to make the most of an online class. Eliminate distractions while you’re in class or watching your recording. Turn off your phone. Don’t have other apps open on your device. And most importantly perhaps, take notes … by hand … with a pen and paper. This simple act will do more for your retention than you can imagine. 

2. Take responsibility for your own schedule

There was no doubt about who was in charge when you were in Ms. Wilson’s classroom. When she told you to work on exercise 4 at your desks, you knew she’d be patrolling the room like a warden, ready to swoop down on the doodler or daydreamer and put them back on track. Time spent in her classroom was not your own.

The online student doesn’t have a Ms. Wilson to force them to make the most of their time. They must schedule their time carefully and keep to that schedule. Each class requires study and homework time. How long will each take, and when should it be done? Major projects may require time spread across days or weeks or the whole semester. How can that be accomplished with minimal stress and optimal productivity? Without a schedule, a student will spend time only on those subjects that they enjoy, or worse yet, will waste the time they should be working, until the last minute. The result will be anguish, anger, frustration, late-night cram sessions, and inferior work.

During middle school and high school years parents should teach their children to make their own schedule and stick to it. This is a valuable life-lesson, and future professors and bosses will praise those who learn it. It is the difference between the self-directed worker who is recognized for their competence and the shoddy loafer who is shunned by co-workers and fellow-students. During these critical, formative years, parents must move away from telling their children when to work on which assignment, and move into the role of holding their children accountable for their schedule.

3. Plan your discussion board contributions

Discussion boards are already a common feature in many online classrooms, and their popularity with teachers will continue to grow. Ms. Wilson could spend her classroom time on a discussion that engaged students, but the online session is often shorter than time spent together in the traditional classroom. The result is that more online time is spent in lectures while instructors look to discussion boards to replace traditional classroom discussion time.

How does a teacher persuade students to continue the discussion outside the brief online session? By making participation a part of the student’s final grade. This brings new challenges to both the student and the teacher, but one of the advantages is that students can put more thought into their contributions than they can in a fast-paced live discussion. Students should always be mindful that they are displaying both their effort and their attitude every time they post.

We live in an age of carefully crafted online personas and virtually anonymous rages on social media. A discussion board post is a very different beast. It should be thoughtful, professional, and respectful. The divisive rants and haughty emotional preaching of social media have no place on a student discussion board. Contributions should be thoughtful and rational, and disagreements should be handled with grace and respect.

4. Interact with your instructor appropriately

No one would think of treating Ms. Wilson with anything but respect. Her steady glare could wither the most defiant of spirits. This is the nature of face-to-face communication. Attitudes can be gauged, emotions can be read, reactions can be seen. Online communication is different, but an email sent to your instructor must be handled with all the caution required when approaching Ms. Wilson in person.

First, always address your instructor with an appropriate title of respect. There is a reason why she is teaching, and you are being taught. This is not a tweet or a text message. Don’t begin with “Hey…,” their first name, or an emoji. Set the correct tone.

Second, always identify yourself (your first and last name) and give the class that you’re asking about. There may come a time when you are known by your first name alone, like Cher or Kanye, and when you are immediately recognized on the street as “that stellar student in English 101,” but this is not that time.

Finally, write in full English sentences using correct spelling and punctuation. Save the text message abbreviations for your friends, not your instructors.

The student who masters these four habits will be set to succeed in the online classroom