Hello and welcome to my first blog post. My name is Kristen and I have no idea what it means to be a successful online learner. Okay, I wouldn’t say no idea, but I am definitely not as adept on the subject as I once thought I was. This is my first time taking classes online through Oregon State, and my second time taking online classes ever. The first time I took online classes was in high school, and let’s just say it was “sub-par”. I only did it for the last semester of my senior year. The main reason why I chose online learning versus in-person is because it lets me work on things at my own pace and at times where I feel comfortable. Although, I still got that in high school (somewhat), it sill doesn’t compare to my experience with OSU so far. OSU’s ecampus is so much more organized, engaging, and challenging. Which is where I have realized that this is going to be a lot harder than I expected. You’re really encouraged to interact with classmates and teachers through discussions (and now blogs), which is what seriously lacked in my previous online experience. This is something I will have to get used to, but I do believe it’s going to seriously benefit my learning experience. Another big difference would have to be the workload, but I expected that since I was transitioning from high school to college. One thing I wasn’t as prepared for though, would be the amount of information I have to teach to myself. A lot of the coursework consists of reading through textbooks and then comprehending the information on your own. I already know that this is going to be my biggest challenge. But now that I realize that, I am going to start taking steps to help me get through it. These past couple of weeks, I have learned methods and strategies that will benefit my specific learning strengths, and help me with my weaknesses. I realized that I cannot just read through information to fully grasp it. I am going to have to find ways to present the information to myself in a multitude of ways. As long as I can pinpoint my weaknesses, and figure out ways to overcome them, I should have no problems getting through my online classes. With that said, it seems like I actually DO know what it takes to be a successful online learner!

Ok, two hunters are in the woods when one of them suddenly collapses. He isn’t breathing and his eyes looked glazed. The other guy grabs his cell phone and calls for help. He shouts at the emergency operator: “I think my friend is dead! What do I do!?”

“Calm down”, the operator says in a soothing voice, “I can help you. But first, we need to make sure he’s dead.”

The phone goes silent for a second. Then the operator hears a gunshot. “Ok”, says the hunter, “now what?”

I know, I know, pretty bad. But sometimes while working through an online course I feel like that hunter who calls 9-1-1 and then shoots his friend. Yeah, the operator’s intent is pretty clear, but the hunter standing there with a gun misconstrues the intent. I have found that sometimes I misconstrue the intent of directions/assignments in my online classes. Nothing too dire or lethal, but I don’t always process everything in the directions.

In my mind, I follow directions pretty, well. At least as well as most. But I have found that in this online education universe, I don’t always catch every detail. It might have to do with information being posted in different places, a book vs. a module vs. a discussion vs. piazza vs. email. But I think it has more to do with my personality and my preference for dealing with people. Sure, I understand the assignments. But it’s talking it over with the instructor or students in that casual way that happens in hallways or over coffee that I thrive on. I do not get the same from discussion boards or emails, or at least not yet.

I am definitely a people person, this is no surprise (at least to me or anyone who knows me). But the lack of human-to-human interaction is more difficult to overcome than I had thought it would be. My VARK results were not all that surprising, I learn best through Reading and Visualization. I learned this while doing my first college degree, the need to repeatedly rewrite and review, to use flashcards, and to create flowcharts or other graphic interpretations of how concepts tie together is what kept me in the library nights and weekends.

My results from the Multiple Intelligence test revealed that my strongest intelligences are Linguistic and Interpersonal – again, no surprise there. One of the recommended strategies for learning is “Engage in Socratic method.” Ha! That’s me to a T. But how to do that in an online setting? Is there a way to post “stimulating” questions and answers on a message board without sounding like a know-it-all? Am I doing it now?

So, what does this all mean for my future online education career? Obviously, the interaction aspect is not going to change (unless any of you want to come out to Phnom Penh and help me study!). So I expect I’ll be organizing myself better to systematically verify assignments and requirements. This is no biggie – I now repeatedly check these things to make sure I have no more … miscontru-ations(?). I see it as another form of organizing: organizing my online life. And though messaging isn’t the same as talking with someone, I am doing my share of sharing!

And if I ever need a healthy dose of human interaction, I’ve got a 3 year old girl and a 5 year old boy both bursting to give me all the human interaction I could possibly want!

Now, when’s this blog due…?

I’m going to start off with one of the biggest surprises that I have found so far this semester is how helpful that this ALS class truly is. It is something that I wish I would of utilized a lot sooner in my online learning career. I am probably taking this class for a much different reason than many of the people that are going to read this. But before I get to that lets start with some of the reasons that I have found about why online learning is best for me. Then I will cover some of the challenges that I have faced so far in my online learning career.

The biggest reason that online learning is best for me is because I am having to work to be able to pay for school. Being an online student has helped me to be able to still work to help pay for school along the way. Another reason that I have found a love for online schooling is being able to do the work at my pace. Instead of having to sit through a class where most of the time I would probably be day dreaming about being anywhere else. I have found that by me having to keep track of what is going on it has actually made me a better learner because I am not doing work because a teacher is watching me, but because I want to learn.

Now lets get to why I am currently enrolled in this class. I am going to get a little personal here but I hope that maybe someone can learn from some of my mistakes and challenges thus far in my college career. To start off this is my second and a half year as a student on Ecampus at Oregon State University. Only one and a half of those I have been allowed to take classes. I was kicked out of school for about a year due to life circumstances and personal hardships. I am not going to get into all of the reasoning behind my suspension, but I will say that the biggest thing you can do as an online student is make sure that you utilize all of the resources that are available to you. Whether it is a death in the family or having to pick up a second job to help support your family there is always someone that you can talk with at Oregon State to help you get through your hardships. Don’t always assume that you can get through everything on your own because the next thing you know you will be falling behind. And believe me you truly don’t know what you got till its gone, because before my suspension I took school pretty lightly. Since I was reinstated however school means the world to me!

Hello All.  Justin Gaither here.  As a first time online learner, I feel like this is the way to go.  After re-discovering my learning styles and preferences, I believe I will benefit more from online learning than with traditional learning.  As a individual who likes to take the time to read, re-read and sometimes re-re-read the information, being able to take the classes at my own pace is extremely helpful.  I also love being able to enjoy the learning at my leisure, sometimes from the back patio and sometimes with a cold IPA in hand.  With my desire to have my weekends still be my weekends, online learning is perfect, since it allows me to get a head start on all my assignments, rather than just giving me until next class period to complete them.   Every week my goal is to complete all my required readings and assignments by Thursday evening.  So when Friday rolls around, my weekend is free and clear to be outside hiking, camping, exploring, etc…

There have been a few surprises within the first three weeks.  There is a lot of reading!  100 plus pages can sneak up on you real fast.  I had to put a halt on the Frank Zappa Autobiography and pick up Nature’s Economy…Not exactly what I would prefer to be reading, but oh well.  Having never taken online learning, I assumed it would be minimal interactions with classmates and more reading and essay writing.  I was sadly mistaken.  But, I do enjoy the “classroom” participation.  Being primarily introverted, it is helpful to get me out of my comfort zone, all the while still somewhat staying in my comfort zone.  One welcoming surprise is how fast the weeks seem to go by.  I can’t believe week three is halfway over.

I have realized that online learning is not going to be a cake walk.  I’m sure I will encounter other struggles as I take more classes, but I have noticed a few already.  Reading comprehension is probably not my strongest area.  Maybe that is why I can recite almost any movie line or song lyric.  So that is why I need to allot myself extra time to read, re-read and sometimes re-re-read the information.  Also, It has come to my attention that I may not be as engaging as I should in discussion forums.  That could come with not really having school on my mind during the weekend. Perhaps in the future, I will make more of an effort to log on during the week, when not doing assignments, and just read and respond accordingly.  I am also excited and nervous about partaking in group projects within the online learning community.  Will I thrive as a leader of the group?  Or will I just lay back and take direction?  In my current job, I lean more towards the former, but who knows here!

These first three weeks have been a nice learning experience.  It hasn’t been too much of a struggle with only taking 6 credit hours.  I commend the individuals who are balancing working full-time, school full-time and children full-time.  My hats off to you all!  Good luck to everyone and here’s to a successful term.

After all these many years of enjoying attending school and higher education, it has been fascinating to learn so much about my learning preferences.  School plays well into my bi-modal learning preferences…or is it that my bi-modal learning preferences play well with school?

I have always taken notes and, usually (but not always), gone back over them prior to a test.  It just seems to me that writing it out accomplishes some sort of muscle-memory “thing” for me and I don’t really have to go back over my notes so diligently.  At long last, I have found that there is a name for that kind of learning: read/write AND kinesthetic.  The examples that teachers utilize to bring a point home work with me.  And I need that in order to learn more effectively.  I just had never put the effort into finding the terminology for my learning preferences.  Must be my right-brain procrastination taking over.

So now that I know what goes on with me and learning, I can put into practice more effective tools for utilizing them and the way I am.  I have good things going for me and that’s exciting!  On-line classes use reading and writing and examples and practical applications: wow!  I should excel at on-line classes!

Well, what should be and what actually happens….hmmmm.  Already, I performed miserably on a test because I had not put my preferences of note taking into practice.  Lesson learned.  I’m doing much better in the class this week but I won’t know the results until the next text.  But I’m aware of what I need to do and I’m doing it!  Plus the class has some extra credit material to help me out.  Yay!  Reading and writing!  This I can do: just have to put procrastination into the trash bin.

Then there are my felines: my beautiful and distracting felines.  Watching them is a distraction but that is workable.  Right now they are napping….all of them!  There’s a miracle.  So it’s easier for me to apply myself to this task.  Yet, I find that I am very much like my felines.  They’re paws-on and I’m hands-on.  They live in the moment as do I: hence, my difficulty with procrastination.  (If it’s not a pressing issue now, then it is not that important.  It’s sure easy to let tasks slide that way) And my felines and I share a fascination with nature and birds: differing in perspective but still something we share.

I have learned a lot of new things from this class alone, not to mention my other 2 that I am enrolled in. I always felt that I had the strength of knowledge of general computer use and being able to navigate my way around the internet. I knew that my own learning style was that of being more of a hands-on kind of learner, so I knew that online learning would pose a potential challenge to that. But after the first 2 weeks I have really found out that it is an entirely different world than that of a regular classroom! I have found out how much of a kinesthetic learner I am and how weak it seems that I am at simply visual learning. I have developed ideas of how to increase my visual learning in that I am not just reading over and listening to lectures in my classes, but some I will be printing off the lectures so that I can listen to them and take my own version of notes along the sides of the pages. Also I have been reading the notes out loud and sometimes have found that playing music softly in the background helps my concentration out. Does this help anyone else? Are there any other tools anyone has found that would help me or others with these potential learning issues? I have a few years ahead of me to earn my Fishery and Wildlife Sciences degree, so keeping an open mind to new ways of online learning is one thing I am striving for!

Hello to my course mates and to those in the other section. As a reminder, I’m Susan Lee and I’m taking courses post graduate to attain credits in mostly science offerings for a job reclassification. I struggled previously in online Chemistry, so I am taking this course in hopes of improvement.

My learning style is multi-modal, so I think this is generally a strength for online type courses. My learning styles that were weak (aural) aren’t especially useful to online learning, so that is also positive. Having some experience with the blackboard online system provided some exposure for expectations

I continue to struggle with time management. This week is especially a challenge because I’m on travel and using a hotel computer and don’t have all my source material. The material was not made available until I after I left and I failed to anticipate what I might need. As I travel every few weeks, this will continue to be a problem. It also created surprises for me in terms of the requirements (I didn’t get and don’t have my passcode for example). So, instead of being ahead of the curve, I’m behind. This is consistent with starting strong and then getting discouraged.

So, this is a question for others. Do any of you travel a lot and how do you handle this struggle? Do you have any tips for me? Also, any tips about getting discouraged when you hit a bump in the road!

Thanks,

Susan

Hi everyone! My name is Noka, and I am a 42 year old divorced mom of two teen aged girls. I live in a rural area in Northeastern Oregon where the closest college campus of any kind is nearly sixty miles away. All of these factors made online learning necessary for me. There was more flexibility in scheduling so I could still work and make time for my children’s activities, and I didn’t have to drive over that treacherous pass in the wintertime. So I thought to myself, “I’ll just take online classes. Piece of cake, right?” –NOT.

Yes, I can attend college in my jammies. Yes, I don’t have to brush my hair before going to class. Yes, no one else can see my messy desk (which is good because it may frighten some people.) But easy? It’s not as easy as I thought.

Spring 2015 is my second term of college and my second term of online learning. I finished winter term on the dean’s list, so the coursework, although challenging, doesn’t seem too be too difficult. I’m sure it will  become more challenging as I begin to take more upper level classes. The problem is me. In these first two weeks, I have learned that I am totally a right brainer. As I mentioned before, my desk is a mess, which is not a huge problem because it makes sense to me. Sometimes, though, it can be difficult to keep all my assignments in order. I, not just my desk, am also very disorganized, and I tend to procrastinate. I have learned in this class, however, some tools and strategies to help with my organizational shortcomings. For instance, I have implemented a planner that has helped tremendously when it comes to budgeting my time. In my planner, I have set aside certain days for certain classes and/or assignments. This seems to be working quite well, because I don’t feel so stressed, and I don’t seem to be cramming so much into the end of the week to meet deadlines.

I have also learned that my learning style is multi-modal. When I was in grade school and high school, I was the kid that never had to study. If I saw it, heard it, or read it, it was there in my mind. I was always “teacher’s pet”, though not willingly. My fourth grade teacher even used me as an example to another student saying, “Why can’t you be more like her? She could learn off the side of a barn wall!” I hated it because it was embarrassing, and I felt sorry for the little boy. But I will never forget it. It seems now, however, that my memory, especially my short term memory, is not at all what it used to be. I blame it on old age and diabetes. Through discovering my different learning styles, though, I have been able to incorporate different methods to help information stick in my mind. I have found some of my textbooks are offered in audio versions online. Reading along while the text is read to me seems to help me soak in the data. My kids are also studying some of the same or similar coursework. I have found that studying with them and creating interactive learning games to play with them has not only complimented my learning experience, but has aided their enrichment as well.

Though online learning isn’t as easy as I thought it would be, I am quickly developing methods and strategies to help me not just muddle through, but charge through like the cavalry. I have set goals for myself both short term ( some of them very short like I will turn in this blog post by 10 a. m.) and long term to encourage myself to reach my final educational destination: my college degree.