It is amazing how few online course providers, colleges and universities provide a simple checklist of things that you should do to maximize the possibilities of your success in an online course or program.

Even though you have completed your online course orientation, and have read all the material your provider has given you on online courses, you may still have a few questions about the way things work. Here is a list of activities and pointers for being successful with your online course.

All learners, irrespective of whether they attend online or onsite training have to be motivated and committed to the learning process. However, as online learners, we need more than that! Based on my experience, here are some points to consider…

Recommended reading, this is part one of a two part post suggesting some ways to use elearning to enhance relationships with your customers. In some ways it would be better titled “12 ways to use an LMS…” as some of the ideas – particularly in part two of this post have very little to do with e-learning as such.

Fortunately as elearning has evolved it has become clear that technology is a vehicle for learning, an opportunity to enable collaboration over distance, and can enhance the learning experience – but is NOT a substitute for skilled facilitation.

The recommended reading for this week describes a framework for effective virtual facilitation. This is a useful overview which gives a sense of what good online facilitation means. The approaches described here, are the best practise approaches we use ourselves.

Collaboration is key to the most effective models of e-learning. Well designed elearning programmes ensure there is opportunity for collaboration and interaction between learners, because it is in this aspect that elearning brings together the best of face-to-face and distance learning.

Distance education can be more stimulating and encourage more critical reasoning than a traditional large instructor-led class because it allows the kind of interaction that takes place most fully in small group settings. Studies have shown that students who take online courses are typically drawn into the subject matter of the class more deeply than in a traditional course because of the discussions they get involved in.

Try this refreshingly succinct list which sets out the pros and cons of e-learning. If you are beginning to explore the benefits e-learning might offer you or your orgnisation, this sets out the basics well. This is not a ‘business case’ for e-learning, instead it looks more at how the nature of elearning sets it apart from other types of teaching and learning.