by Lucy E. Zahnle

Created on: February 21, 2010

Many people find the prospect of on-line courses extremely daunting. Some feel that these courses aren’t personal enough while others fear that they might have issues with their own self- discipline. Still others worry that the instructors won’t be there for them.  While these are legitimate concerns, there are ways to overcome them. The keys to online academic success are keeping the lines of communication with your instructor open and active, having the self-discipline to log in as often as required, and completing the coursework correctly and on time.

When you take an on-line course, you should never forget that you, the student, are the customer. Don’t be afraid to contact your instructor and ask questions. Don’t worry that you are disturbing the instructor or that your question is ‘dumb’. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it is a valid inquiry.

The instructor should always be there to help you, mentor you, and answer your questions. This does not mean that an instructor must answer that frantic email you sent at 2:23 AM within ten minutes of receiving it, but you should expect your instructor to respond to your email or voice mail message within twenty-four hours. If you are having problems contacting your instructor, you should let your school know.

Keep communications open with your instructor as much as possible. You can use the phone, email, your learning management system (the website on which your classes are posted), texting, and even snail mail. Even if you feel angry or overwhelmed, don’t stop communicating with your instructor. Let the teacher know that you have a problem and the two of you can try to work it out together. If you have a problem with your instructor and you cannot solve it, you should email or visit your school administrative office, explain the situation, and request help

If you have computer problems or cannot access the Internet for any reason, you should call the instructor and let him or her know. If you don’t log in to your class and you don’t make contact any other way, your instructor may assume that you are abandoning the class. You will also fall behind in the coursework. At the very least, you will lose grade points and some instructors will not let you take quizzes or exams or turn in assignments after the deadline even if you have a valid excuse. Since many on-line courses move extremely quickly, for some students, falling behind could mean

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