Introduction

Institutions world-wide are now delivering courses via the Internet. People who would otherwise have limited access to higher education now have the ability to access a course from a home or work computer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Online education environments (often known as Virtual Learning Environments or VLEs) are software programs designed to encourage collaborative learning, and online courses are usually conducted within one of these environments (there are many commercial VLE options). Adult learners, in particular, find the online environment a convenient way to fit education into their busy lives. The main advantages of online learning are:

• the learner is able to think about each comment from others before responding or moving on to the next item. Learners therefore have time to express responses with much more depth and forethought than in a traditional classroom, where the participant must respond quickly or lose the chance to contribute to the discussion.
• learners can log on to their course anytime, and have continuous access to lectures, course materials, and class discussions. This makes it possible to reread a lecture or take more time to reflect on some material before moving on.
• learners can tailor class discussions to meet their own specific needs.
• learners can retain anonymity. Discriminating factors such as age, dress, physical appearance, disabilities, race and gender are usually absent. Instead, the attention is on the content of the discussion and the learner's ability to respond and contribute.
• it is easy for learners to access resources and information anywhere in the world.

Learning Skills

Distance learning classes are a great convenience for some students, but they are not appropriate for more dependent learners. Online education gives learners control over their learning experience, and allows for flexibility of study schedules for non traditional students; however, this places a greater responsibility on the student. You are likely to be successful at participating in an on-line course if you are:

• highly self-motivated to take the course for any reason (e.g. to complete your degree, or you need it for your job).
• self-disciplined and can turn assignments in on time.
• a good reader who can follow written directions in completing complex tasks.
• able to work independently, without direct supervision.
• good at communicating through writing.
• willing to speak up if problems arise.
• able to think ideas through before responding.
• willing to collaborate with other learners.
• able to create an environment where you can concentrate on the work for a period of time.

The Technology

Access to the Course

To succeed at any online course, you must be able to access the online learning environment, from home, work, or within the University. Lack of convenient access, whether for economical, logistical or computer literacy reasons, will make the course difficult to complete. The computer you intend to use must have the minimum hardware and software requirements for the course. Internet access from home can pose a significant cost to you, whether you pay a fixed monthly rate for your Internet connection, or are charged for the time you spend online. If your time online is limited, then the instruction you receive and your participation in the online program may not be as good as learners with fewer course access problems. This is a particular limitation of online programs that rely on long periods of Internet access; however, some programs allow you to download material to work on whilst off-line.

Computer Skills

To learn successfully from an online course, you should possess a minimum level of computer knowledge so that the technology doesn't interfere with learning. Online courses are not necessarily designed to teach you how to use software, manage files, navigate the Internet, or use email. Rather, you should have these skills before taking part in the online course. The following list consists of basic skills; if you do not have these skills you may not be happy following an online course.

You should be able to:

• create, save, copy, move and manage files and directories on a computer
• run the applications you need to use on a computer - this should include any specific applications which may be required as part of your course
• access a computer with an Internet connection
• access email and the World Wide Web (WWW)
• use a browser, e.g. Netscape or Internet Explorer
• use Internet navigational tools on a browser (e.g., "Back" button, bookmarks/favourites)
• use a search engine to conduct research on the Internet
• send and receive email
• send and receive a file attachment from email
• paste text into an email message (e.g. from a word processor)
• describe any problems accurately to technical support (e.g. write down error messages)

You may also need to:

• customize your browser
• install software
• download software
• register for email and discussion forums
• complete forms online

Netiquette

E-mail is an important means of communication whilst taking part in an on-line course. However, many users are unfamiliar with network etiquette, commonly called netiquette, which keeps this form of communication effective and efficient. Netiquette mandates that you do your best to act within the laws of society and cyberspace. Here are some netiquette tips and recommended practices.

E-mail basics

Be careful when addressing mail, and always check the address fields of your e-mail before you send it. There are addresses that may go to a group although the address appears as if it is just one person. When replying and forwarding, don't continue to include people if the messages have become a two-way conversation. Also, make sure that any message you respond to was directed to you; you might be copied (cc) rather than the primary recipient. In order to ensure that people know who you are, it is a good idea to create a short signature file (which appears at the bottom of each email that you send), containing some of your contact information. Mail also should have a subject heading that reflects the content of the message.

When you communicate electronically, you and your correspondent don't have the opportunity to use facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to convey your meaning. When you're holding a conversation online, whether it's an email exchange, or response to a discussion group posting, it's easy to misinterpret the writer's meaning. Remember that the recipient is a human being whose culture, language, and humor have different points of reference from your own. Date formats, measurements, idioms, and sarcasm may not travel well. Re-read your message before sending until you would feel as comfortable saying these words to the live person as you do sending them in an email. Emoticons (emotional icons) are used to compensate for the inability to convey voice inflections, facial expressions, and bodily gestures in written communication. Some emoticons are better known as "smileys." Emoticons can be very effective toward avoiding misinterpretation of the your intent. Most emoticons will look like a face (eyes, nose, and mouth) when rotated 90 degree clockwise. Here are the three most common examples:

:-) Expresses happiness, or a joke

:-( Expresses unhappiness

;-) Expresses sarcasm

You will be judged by the quality of your writing when you communicate online. Messages should be concise and to the point. Pay attention to the content of your writing, be pleasant and polite. Don't use offensive language, and don't be confrontational for the sake of confrontation. A good reason not to be offensive online is that your words are likely be stored somewhere you have no control over, and any message you send could be saved or forwarded by its recipient. Again, you have no control over where it goes.

Bandwidth Limitations

When you send email, it's your responsibility to ensure that the time spent by those reading your posting isn't wasted. Therefore it is a good idea to consider bandwidth limitations. Bandwidth is the information-carrying capacity of the connections between everyone on the Internet, and there's a limit to the amount of data that any piece of wiring (or other type of connection) can carry at any given moment. When you accidentally post the same note to the same person or discussion group five times, you are wasting both time (of the people who check all five copies of the posting) and bandwidth (by sending repetitive information over the wires and requiring it to be stored somewhere). This also means that you should not send large files to mailing lists unless it is necessary; often, just sending a Web address will do. Be particularly considerate if you know that the person on the receiving end of your email is using a modem to connect to the Internet, as the bandwidth of telephone connections is much smaller than that of the University network, and it will take them a long time to download a large file.

Discussion Groups

Don't be afraid to ask questions within the course discussion group, or to share what you know. It's especially considerate to share the answers to your questions with others. When you anticipate that you'll get a lot of answers to a question, it's customary to request replies directly to your personal email instead of to the group. When you get all those responses, you can write up a brief summary and post it to the discussion group. That way, everyone benefits from the people who took the time to answer you. Also, if you've researched a topic that you think would be of interest to others, summarise it and post it to the group.

Netiquette varies from domain to domain. What's perfectly acceptable in one area may be very rude in another. When you enter a domain of cyberspace that's new to you (e.g. a discussion list), wait a bit before participating. Spend a while reading the archives to get a idea of how the people who are already there act. Save the subscription messages for any lists that you join. These usually tell you how to unsubscribe as well.

"Flaming" is what people do on discussion groups when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion. Tact is not the objective. Netiquette does not forbid flaming, but it does forbid the perpetuation of flame wars. These are series of angry postings, most of them from two or three people directed toward each other, that can dominate the tone of a discussion group. Flame wars can initially be amusing, but they become boring very quickly to those not actually involved. They're an unfair monopolization of bandwidth. Even if you feel strongly about something, think twice before flaming. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public.

Privacy

Of course, you'd never dream of going through your colleagues' desk drawers. So naturally you wouldn't read their email either. Likewise, forgery and spoofing (impersonating someone else) are not approved behavior.