Myths about taking online courses:

Myth 1: 

My schedule is demanding and variable, so the online format is great for me.  All I need to do is hand in assignments and keep up with the reading (I don’t need to keep up with communication).

Fact:

If you are not an active participant within in the course (actively communicating) you will not successfully master the class material, and there is a high probability that you will not earn a passing grade.

Myth 2: 

Since I do not need to actively communicate, I can take time off from class.

Fact: 

You are responsible for the material covered each week.  What you get out of the course is directly related to what you put into the course.  If you are not actively involved in all the phases of the classroom, you cheat yourself out of the learning experience.

Myth 3: 

I am a very active person who is involved in many different activities.  Whether I participate or hand in assignments on time or not should not affect my grade.

Fact:

Although instructors will generally do everything possible to accommodate their students, you are expected to communicate often and hand in work on time.

Myth 4:

I am busier than everybody else in the class, so I can’t be expected to contribute as much to discussion postings/communication.

Fact: 

Enrollment in a class is a commitment on the part of the student, which needs to be treated very seriously.  Life events will intrude, but it is the student’s responsibility to make whatever adjustments may be required to fulfill this responsibility.

Myth 5:

After submitting my responses to the Discussion Posts, I need not visit the Discussion area again that week.

Fact: 

Some online courses will require you to participate within the Discussion area more than once per week and contribute your thoughts to the unfolding discussion.

Myth 6:

Online format means I have time for more classes, which should be manageable after work.

Fact:

Online course assignments are designed to require the same amount of time as you would spend if you were attending the course on campus.  Plan to log into the classroom at least 2 to 3 times per week.  You can expect to spend 9-12+ hours per week working on course readings, assignments, and communications within each online course, so you need to plan your time wisely.

Myth 7: 

Why put in a lot of effort thinking about something someone else has already given much thought to?  Copy-pasting a few paragraphs from the Web or other students save me time and never hurts anyone.

Fact: 

You are expected to submit your opinions in your own words and where others’ thoughts or ideas are presented use appropriate citations.  Using material from other people without proper citation is plagiarism and will be considered cheating.

Myth 8: 

Communication in an online course is informal, so instructors should not expect high-quality writing.

Fact: 

The classroom is the place to learn or practice expressing yourself professionally, so each effort should be your best effort.  Without this practice or learning experience you will not be as well prepared when required to produce quality writing/communication on the job.

Myth 9: 

I am busier than everyone else in the course and my demanding schedule means I can expect exceptions to any of the above myths or facts.

Fact: 

All students are evaluated on the same criteria, so instructors will be paying attention to the quality of your work.  The ultimate fact:  To get the most out of your online course, participate thoughtfully, professionally, consistently and often!