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Showing posts with the label Michael S. Miller

The [not so] Elusive Discussion Board

by Michael S. Miller, Ed.D. You have just begun taking classes online.   It is the first day of the course and because you are extremely organized and have excellent time management skills, you have finished all of the required reading for the week.   It is time to begin knocking out some of your assignments.   It is likely the first one you will tackle is the discussion board.   You think to yourself, “this should be simple, all I need to do is answer a couple of questions.”   Sure, on the surface, it appears that way; however, the discussion board is about more than just answering the questions provided by the instructor.   This is part of why the discussion board may seem elusive to many students. The policies, procedures, and expectations for the discussion board vary from one school to the next.   That is why it is critical that you (not your professor), are clear about how to begin, this sometimes daunting task.   It is rather common that the professor has directed y

Four Success Tips for New (and old) Online Learners

by Michael S. Miller, Ed.D. There is a great deal of information on the internet regarding how to be successful in an online course.   One can find anything from tips for managing your time to staying organized.   Much of what is written is done so by researchers and poll groups; little information exists from actual online professors.   Having spent several years now teaching online, the following are some general guidelines from someone in the trenches.   While this list may seem simple and “common sense,” you would be surprised at how few students actually follow them. 1.         Check your email regularly.   The main form of communication in the online learning environment is through email.   Your school and professor will likely use this as the first step in getting information to you.   Many online professors do not have access to your phone number…so the next best thing is email.   Professors may use email to notify you of a missing assignment, an incorrectly submitte