There is a growing body of research pointing to the personal characteristics that help to ensure you will have a successful and enjoyable e-learning experience. These findings are summarized below. The assessment tool that follows will address many of these points and provide you with more a detailed assessment.
- Work Independently - e-learning requires that you study independently although you won't work in isolation.
Self-Motivated - as with any learning experience, students who have a drive to learn and achieve will be successful.
Reading and Writing Skills - these may be even more important than in the traditional classroom; these skills are necessary for you to communicate and engage in online discourse.
Time Management - you must as an e-learner effectively manage your time for classroom activities and interaction, reading and responding to "posts" (communications from other students), writing, etc.
Time Commitment - prior to beginning an e-learning course, be sure you have committed the necessary time; while convenient, e-learning does require a real commitment.
Preparation - like any other course or learning activity, you need to be prepared, have met all course prerequisites, know the objectives of the course and have a plan.
Comfortable with Technology - while you don't need to be a computer wiz, you do need to have a level of comfort working with a computer, a central tool in online learning.
Appropriate Technology - while technology needs vary and are determined by the providing colleges and universities, a basic technology "system" is a must.
Choose the best answers that apply to you as a learner, then press the
Get Results button. Your results will appear on the next page. A description of your results will be below the results table.