| Information to Assess If You Are
Ready for ENG 101 Online
The faculty of SLCC-Meramec English Department want you to succeed should you decide to take an online writing course, but online learning is not for everyone. Therefore, we have created this informational web page to help you make the right decision.
You should have . . .
- Reliable and consistent access to e-mail and the Internet.
This does not necessarily mean from home-libraries, public and on campus, and computer labs on campus have computers with Internet connections. However, participation in this course is like any other course.You are required to be online several times a week. Students who do not have reliable access at home will have to work a lot harder to keep up. Please consider this up front. For a further list of basic computer skills, see this helpful page: http://www.stlcc.edu/distance/text/basicskills.html
- Basic computer and Internet skills.
You must be able to send and receive e-mail with attachments, save text files as Rich Text Format (RTF), download and upload files, navigate our online course in Blackboard, navigate the Internet, view PowerPoint presentations, read PDF files, and other "basics."
- Ability to download and install programs.
You may not have the free programs Acrobat Reader, PowerPoint Viewer or Shockwave that are necessary for this course. You will need to be able to download these programs and install them. If you have problems, you will need to troubleshoot them and contact technical support.
- This class is writing and reading intensive.
In addition to the heavy amount of writing inherent in composition and report writing, all the assignments and discussions in an online or hybrid course also have to be read. This makes our course reading as well as writing intensive. Students who do not have the self-discipline to stay on schedule will not do well in this course. Please evaluate yourself honestly.
TIME
- This class will take an average of 9 hours per week.
One of the biggest misconceptions some students have concerns the time and effort an online or hybrid course requires. This course is not an easy version of the traditional course. In fact, it requires as much time-and maybe even more time-than a traditional course. The benefit of an online or hybrid course is not a savings in time but more convenient control over the time spent on the course. Traditional courses in college require 2 hours of outside-the-classroom work for every credit hour. Again, honest self-evaluation is needed. If you cannot commit to a full college level course, then rethink this online or hybrid version.
- This class will have weekly due dates.
This class will not be self paced. You will be required to complete assignments, papers, reviews of peer work, etc. by specific due dates.
- This class requires self discipline.
In an online class, you do not have an instructor reminding you every class about the work you need to do. You will have to plan your time well and consistently get online a couple of times a week.
- This class favors people who learn by reading.
Everyone has different strengths. Some learn well from hearing lectures. Others learn well by doing. An online course is heavily favored towards learners who are visual learners. These are people who like to read to learn and interact with written material. Online courses do have aspects of doing and sometimes hearing, but generally not much. If you tend to learn in classes by listening to the lectures and taking notes, then this may not be the best format for your learning style.
You may still have questions if this class is right for you. Feel free to discuss this matter with an advisor or a member of the English Department. Also, you may find the information on the SLCC's Distance Learning program at http://www.stlcc.edu/distance/ helpful.
For a short questionnaire to help you assess the likelihood of success in a distance-learning course, go to the following address:
http://www.stlcc.edu/distance/text/resources/assessquiz.htm |
