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Lesson 1.4:
1. Attendance
1. Attendance
Though online classes occur in a different format than in-person classes, it is a common misconception that online classes are easier or require less attention than in-person classes. It’s important to understand that online classes are just as rigorous as in-person classes and require significant organization, diligence, and study to pass. As a student, you are expected to attend classes (or box out hours on your calendar in the case of an asynchronous class), actively participate (with your phone on silent), and study and complete course requirements on time.
If you’re taking an asynchronous or synchronous online class, how is attendance taken when you’re not physically present in a classroom?
A professor may check to see that you are logging into your Learning Management System (LMS) at least once a week
Your “attendance” may be noted when you respond with your weekly discussion post
Your professor may note who is and is not present in the weekly Zoom session
Passing an online course without attending weekly class sessions or completing weekly discussion posts is almost impossible. Different variations exist in course attendance and class participation. Reading each course syllabus is key to meeting instructors' expectations. Consequences for not attending classes include warnings from your professor and missing important information that you need to complete your assignments. More than that, failing your course due to skipping classes can have a negative effect on your GPA and be a financial burden, as you’re paying for classes or receiving financial awards that could jeopardize your ability to pay in the future.
So, like 90% of other things in life, those who succeed are those who show up. Showing up for your online courses by regularly attending your Zoom classes or carving out a 3-hour block in your calendar for your asynchronous class is a non-negotiable part of taking an online class.
2. Participation
2. Participation
Success in online courses depends on how much effort and interaction you have with your course—you'll get what you put into it out of your course.
Here are some tips about how to earn your participation grade in your online class:
Check your syllabus. How much does participation count for in your final grade? While you should do your best to earn participation points, you shouldn’t put the same effort into a discussion post worth 1% of your grade as in an exam worth 50% of your final grade.
How do you participate in your online classes? You can...
Ask a question during your lecture
Answer a question the professor asks
Submit a well-crafted discussion post to your discussion board
React, respond, and further discuss one of your classmate’s posts (“Good post!” doesn’t count!)
Ask a question in the chat
Use Zoom reaction buttons during lectures
Participate equally in group work
Attend your professor’s office hours
Think about quantity and quality. You need to complete ALL of your participation assignments AND bring high-level input to your Zoom classroom or discussion post.
Preparation is key. In order to participate substantively in class, you need to come to class prepared and familiar with that week’s readings and topics
Be consistent. Only doing discussion posts and answering questions in the last few weeks of class won’t cut it. Try to spread out your effort evenly over your entire week semester
Be Visible—literally. When you have online classes, it’s important to have your camera on and to be engaged—professors can tell when you’re looking at your phone!
If you’re unable to participate for some reason, let your professor know by sending an email or writing to her directly in your Zoom chat.
3. Types of assignments and how to submit them
3. Types of assignments and how to submit them
There are a variety of assignments that you will encounter when taking online classes. Just like with an in-person class, you will be expected to submit papers and discussion posts by a deadline in your LMS. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of assignments you’ll need to complete and how to submit them online.
Discussion posts
Discussion posts
Discussion posts are written responses to a prompt given by your professor. They are usually based on the readings set by your professor for that week. Discussion posts happen on a special page of your LMS. Once you make your reply for the week, you will be able to see your classmate’s replies as well and to comment on them
To find discussion posts, navigate to your course page in your LMS and click the “Discussions” or forums page (names can vary from institution and their courses). Click on the correct week to view the discussion prompt
Tips and Tricks:
Tips and Tricks:
Visit the discussion board multiple times weekly to see your classmates’ posts and respond to one or two of your peers.
Recognize when you’re being asked to give an opinion on the reading or when you’re giving a factual response. Back up factual posts with citations from your readings, or look up other articles from your school’s library website to support your claims. Visit your library for citation resources and tools.
If your professor comments on your post, be sure to respond!
When writing directly on the discussion board website, you can accidentally close the tab, or the page could refresh. If that happens, your work will not be saved. It’s best practice to draft your post in Word or another word-processing application before copying and pasting your response into the discussion board.
Submitting a Discussion Post
Submitting a Discussion Post
Navigate to the “Discussions” page for your course. Click on that week’s discussion. Copy your discussion from Word and paste it into the discussion box. Click “reply” to post. Refresh the screen to double-check that your response was posted.
Quizzes and tests
Quizzes and tests
Quizzes and tests are often embedded into the Learning Management System. Quizzes and tests are locked until the day of the exam. On that day, the quiz or test will be “opened” for a certain time frame and you will be able to begin the test. When taking a synchronous online class, you may take quizzes or exams during your class period, but your instructor might also allow taking them at a different time.
Tips and Tricks
Tips and Tricks
Be careful not to close your computer tab where your exam or quiz is taking place. Once you begin an exam, you must leave that tab open until you have answered all the questions and clicked “submit.”
For timed exams or quizzes, you can often find a timer detailing how much time you have left at the top or bottom of the page
Quizzes and tests may be proctored by your college. That means you must have your camera and microphone on, share your screen, or be recorded while taking the test to ensure you are not using notes, external sites, or working with others. Check with the syllabus or instructor for further requirements.
If your internet goes down or you have any other technological difficulties, email your professor immediately to explain what happened and ask for assistance.
Papers
Papers
Almost all papers are submitted for online classes using your LMS. Write your paper in a Word or Google doc and save it to your computer. Then, navigate to the open assignment for your paper. There will be an option to upload a file. Choose the correct file from your computer and upload it into the LMS. Remember to click submit assignment to finalize your submission.
Tips and Tricks
Tips and Tricks
Save your document file in a way that makes it easy to identify when saved by others. Try labeling your paper [LastName][CourseNumber][AssignmentName]. For example, a midterm paper for a Psychology 101 class by Susan Jones would read JonesPsych101Midterm.doc
Check your syllabus to see in which format to upload papers. The most common requests are as a Word document (ending in .doc or .docx) or as a PDF document (ending in .pdf).
If you have difficulty accessing your LMS and cannot upload a paper, email a copy of your completed paper to the professor before the due date passes.
Other assignments
Other assignments
Virtual Labs
Virtual Labs
When taking a science or math course online, you may be expected to complete a virtual tutorial or a virtual lab. Oftentimes colleges and universities will partner with an outside agency to complete tutorials and labs. Look at your syllabus to see the details of your virtual lab and how to login to complete your assignment.
Group Work
Group Work
When taking a synchronous class, you may be divided into breakout rooms with 3-4 peers and be asked to complete an assignment during that period. It is useful to assign one student the role of note keeper and one student the role of presenter. The presenter will present the group’s work to the larger class when you leave your breakout room. The note keeper is responsible for emailing the assignment to the professor. The note keeper should be sure to CC their group members when sending the assignment so that they also have access to it. Switch roles throughout the semester so that work is evenly shared between students.
Video Uploads
Video Uploads
Sometimes your professors may want you to upload a video of you verbally responding to a prompt, completing a role play, or introducing yourself. Most learning management systems have an embedded feature for recording a video that you can use. You can also use Zoom to record and save videos and then upload them into your LMS. To use Zoom, open the application and click on “Start a Meeting.” Turn on your camera and your microphone and, when you’re ready, hit “Record” and begin your verbal response. Click on “stop recording” to finish and then “Leave Meeting.” Once you leave the meeting, you will see a message that your video is processing. Once processed, Zoom will prompt you to save the file to your computer. Give the video file a specific name (like JonesPsych101videoresponse) and then upload it into your LMS.
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