Myths About Online Courses

Distance Education

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Myth 1: 

I have a busy schedule so online classes are great for me.  All I need to do is read the book and email in my assignments.

Fact:

Online classes are not correspondence classes or "learn at your own pace."  If you're not actively participating in the course, collaborating & dialoguing with your peers & instructor, there is a high probability that you will not earn a passing grade.

Myth 2: 

I can take time off from class when I get too busy.

Fact: 

Online classes are not "learn at your own pace."  There are still deadlines and you are responsible for completing the readings, tasks, and discussions each week.  You will get what you put into the course.  If you're not engaged, you've just cheated yourself out of an experience.

Myth 3:

As long as I get my discussion board post in by the end of the week, I'm all done.

Fact: 

Some online courses require you to participate in the discussion area more than once per week and contribute your thoughts to help the dialogue progress and view others' responses.

Myth 4:

Online classes take less time per week than face-to-face classes.

Fact:

Online course assignments are designed to require the same amount of time as you would spend if you were attending the course on campus.  Plan to log into the classroom at least 2 to 3 times per week.  You can expect to spend 9-12+ hours per week working on course readings, assignments, and communications within each online course, so you need to plan your time wisely.

Myth 5: 

Copy-pasting a few paragraphs from the Web or other students will save me time on homework and won't really hurt anyone.

Fact: 

You're expected to submit your opinions in your own words and use appropriate citations where others’ thoughts or ideas are presented.  Using material from other people without proper citation is plagiarism and will be considered cheating.

Myth 6: 

Online communication is informal.  It doesn't matter if I use "text speak" including abbreviations, slang, and acronyms.

Fact: 

The classroom is an academic environment and a place to practice expressing yourself professionally.  You need to communicate with your peers professionally, express your ideas fully, and make every effort your best effort, whether in the discussion boards or on your written assignments.