Is online Learning for you?

Online courses can provide opportunities for students to attend classes anytime from anywhere; however, studies show that often students are unprepared for the challenges inherent with this style of delivery.

In order to help you know if you will be successful learning in an online environment, please carefully consider the questions below prior to requesting courses.

If you can answer “YES” to ALL of these statements/questions, online distance learning may be an attractive option for your educational needs. If you decide to request a course with VTVLC, use the Registration Checklist to help you with the process. If you answer “NO” to two or more, you may want to resolve or improve in this area prior to attempting online courses. More than three “NO” answers would indicate potential difficulties in successfully completing an online course.

Technical Competencies and Access

• Taking into consideration my personal, academic, work and extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, etc), will I be able to devote as much or more time to my online class, as I do for my traditional studies?
• Am I comfortable using the Internet as a means of communication and research?
• Do I own or have access to a computer with Internet access and email?
• I know or am willing to learn how to copy, cut, and paste text/files between programs.
• I am able to learn and apply new software applications.

Learning Styles

• I am able to prioritize tasks, organize assignments and complete assigned work within a deadline.
• I am gratified when I independently solve problems and take responsibility for what I learn.
• Are my writing, reading and communication abilities above average?
• I prefer to work alone on assignments.
• I learn best when I read the directions, rather than an instructor lecturing and giving verbal explanations.
• I consider class discussions with my classmates as optional or not important to me.

*Source: Florida Virtual School