Get more out of distance education courses by becoming an active participant. There are several ways one can participate in an online course that will foster effective learning such as engaging with the course material, connecting with your classmates, and engaging with your teacher.

A. Engage With Course Material Regularly
To get the most benefit from your class, interact frequently with the course material. Make time to review the texts and all related material such as articles, videos, and slide shows. If the course textbook has a website that is independent of your class website, dedicate time to examine the information there. If time permits, review any supplemental or optional material your instructor may provide.

B. Connect With Your Classmates
Introduce yourself.
Instructors often create a discussion board or web page devoted to student introductions. Share information about yourself that will be helpful to your teacher and peers, like your intended major, academic status, job, and prior experience with online courses. Avoid disclosing information that is too personal or may subject you to identity theft. Examples of such data include Social Security number, full date of birth, street addresses, and personal phone numbers.
If the course permits students to respond to introductions posted by classmates, use this opportunity to make connections with your peers. Your classmates can be a valuable resource, especially with technical problems or for quick questions about course material.

Provide constructive and meaningful feedback to classmates' discussion board posts.
Course discussion boards are a common vehicle for students to reflect on issues pertinent to the class. Distance education faculty often encourage students to interact with each other by requiring responses to each others' discussion postings. Discussion boards are an excellent avenue for learning more about course content by sharing ideas. Be sure to follow guidelines supplied by your instructor for discussion postings. A good example of such guidelines is at http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/students/online/help/discu ssion-rules.php by the University of New England Teaching and Learning Centre, (2007). Stay engaged with the discussion boards regularly, e.g., every other day, so that you do not become overwhelmed by the amount of reading.

Be a contributing member of any class project groups or teams.
Distance learning faculty employ group projects to foster collaboration

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