Online learning may tempt you with visions of working in your online course while wearing pajamas and sitting on your couch, but how do you remain motivated to keep working instead of going down the YouTube rabbit hole? Before you take an online course, consider this question seriously.
You need what's known as intrinsic (or internal) motivation to succeed in an online learning environment; you have to avoid the potential pitfalls that come from the ability to put your classroom down and walk away.
Face-to-face courses make it much harder to 'tune out' during a lecture or small group discussion because the instructor might check in with you, or the small group you are working with will notice if you ignore them to respond to text messages.
Online, your instructor may not know if you 'tune-out' unless you do not complete assignments. Students more easily fall behind or don't ask for clarification about confusing content.
Successful online learning requires:
Hear from an online instructor about what he thinks students need to be successful in an online environment.
Are you able to push through frustration and procrastination to complete assignments and projects without someone external prodding you?
Are you willing to try things multiple times until you find what works?
Do you know how to be proactive in asking for help and support instead of waiting until the deadline?
Are you able to pace your to-do list so you have ample time to do your best work?
