Developing online learning skills is essential for adult learners to support their completion of education goals. Although these students can easily locate an online course or degree program that's both convenient and accessible, they may face significant challenges in developing the skills necessary for success in an online learning environment.
The number of distance learning programs, courses, and virtual universities has rapidly multiplied in the past decade. This proliferation of opportunities has created one specific essential online skill – the ability to achieve desired learning goals, while leading busy lives at home and in the workplace. This places a lot pressure on non-traditional students, leading to the need to learn specific skills. The following are seven skills adult learners need to master to be successful.
Time Management: Establishing a Study Routine
The convenience of online learning, as compared to in-person learning, offers the independence and ability of adult learners to participate in an online class whenever they find it convenient. This independence also presents a potential problem – procrastination that will cause a student to fall behind in the course.
To avoid procrastination, an adult learner must be self-disciplined, developing and maintaining a set daily or weekly study schedule. One example is setting aside a three-to-four hour study period on Saturday or Sunday. This study period must take place in a location that is free of distractions or interruptions from family or friends.
Online Discussions: Interacting with Other Students
When online discussions are part of a distance learning course, it is essential to participate in these threaded conversations with fellow course students and instructors. This skill is often difficult to master for adult learners, who are more comfortable with face-to-face dialogue. Posting questions and responding to other student questions helps alleviate two important problems encountered by online students:
- learning in isolation.
- procrastination by less disciplined learners.
Non-traditional students require strategies for retaining course content. Application of new knowledge can be accomplished in many ways, for example:
- developing questions for threaded discussions or participating in these conversations.
- applying new ideas and theories in the work place.
- relating course materials to prior knowledge and experiences in writings or course readings.
Asking Questions: Developing Critical Thinking Proficiency
Asking questions does not mean avoiding reading requirements, it means asking thoughtful questions for exploring the underlying meaning of course materials. Adult learners who craft thought provoking questions are developing necessary skills employers seek in their employees – the ability to critically analyze situations and solve problems.
Taking the time to research and develop clear, understandable questions also requires a good reading comprehension and writing skills. These are additional skill sets necessary for successful online learning and furthering of professional goals. Asking tough questions assists learners in comprehending course materials, along with gaining a better understanding of principles and practices related to program enrolled.
Motivation: Developing Self-Determination
Distance learning students can lose interest and motivation easily due to lack of an inner-drive and self-determination to succeed. This problem is especially prevalent in non-traditional students who avoid interaction with fellow students and course instructors. Everyone has their own motivating factors and strategies for maintaining their determination to succeed. Strategies that work include:
- envisioning family members being empowered to follow the same path.
- achieving a lifelong educational goal.
- thinking about the potential advancement at work that comes with the degree.
- completing requirements to enter a new career field.
Successful online students develop the skill to converse with their instructor. They learn to ask their instructors questions and answering questions posed by instructors. Instructors ask questions to cause critical thinking to occur in their students in order to help them develop a better understanding of course materials and resources. It is necessary to avoid the view that these questions are busy work.
The ability to create thought provoking questions are essential to success. These types of questions lead to a deeper understanding, along with gaining new knowledge about the material being questioned. Communication through questioning is an important skill to learn.
Connections: Developing Personal Learning Networks
Successful adult learners, who take full advantage of online learning opportunities through communicating with fellow students and instructors, create personal learning networks. Creating these connections with other students makes the difference between those who succeed and those who do not.
Personal learning networks are developed:
- through thoughtful questions and responses in threaded discussions.
- by exchanging e-mails with fellow students regarding courses assignments.
- by interaction with course instructors.
- through creation of online resources such as course related blogs, RSS readers, Bloglines, and more.
David R. Wetzel - Dr. David Wetzel's experience includes more than 25 years in continuing, adult, and teacher education.
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