Elements of a Typical Online Course

If you have not taken an online course before, you may not know what to expect. What do students do when they take an online course? How do they study? What kind of activities make up an online course, and what capabilities does a virtual classroom have?

There are a wide variety of activities that occur in an online course. However, the list of activities will vary from week to week, and from one academic discipline to another. Below is a brief summary of the variety of learning activities that you may encounter in your online course.

Reading

As with in-person courses, assigned readings are an integral part of an online course.

Writing

Writing is a critical part of the learning process. Because online platforms are primarily text-based, writing is an even more important aspect of online courses.

Assignments

Each week of the course may ask you to complete assignments. While you have the ability to structure your time for your convenience, you must hand in assignments by their due dates. Your instructor will list assignment due dates in the course syllabus, which will almost always be in the first module of every course. For more details on how to submit assignments into the LMS, refer to the appropriate section of Module 3.

Lectures

Online lectures—which may be text- or video-based—are often provided to supplement assigned readings.

Discussions

You will be asked to participate in discussion boards every week or at specific times throughout the term. Discussion boards require active participation which entails keeping frequent "contact" with your instructor and peers in discussion boards by asking questions, reflecting on learning, and sharing ideas. The more involved you are, the more you will learn.

Live Sessions

This is a scheduled (synchronous) meeting attended by all your classmates and your instructor through an online conferencing tool such as Zoom.

Questions

In an online course, you can't ask a question by simply raising your hand. You can, however, post a question on a discussion board. Your instructor and classmates can then respond with their insights. Posting questions on assignments, the readings, or class processes in the discussion board is a vital task in learning, as the entire class can benefit from responses.

Testing

Your instructor may test your understanding of the material by administering quizzes and exams. These assessments may be timed or accessible during a specific period only.

Grading

You will be graded on a combination of factors. Your course syllabus will provide these details.

Collaborative Group Work

Students may collaborate to complete group assignments or projects using a number of collaborative tools such as Zoom. Your instructor will inform you if such collaboration is a requirement. Depending on your course of study, design, and your instructor, you may engage in many additional activities designed to enhance the learning process and/or strengthen the sense of community within the course.