The following self-assessment for online learning is from The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners, by Palloff and Pratt (2003). We provide it here on the NPTT web site as a resource to NPTT students to assist them in maximizing their success in the program. It is not intended to be an all-inclusive resource. Rather, it is provided as a quick resource or starting point.

Tips for Being a Successful Online Learner

Communication Tools

Feedback Guidelines

Time Management Tips and Tools

Goal Inventory

Writing Research and Reflection Papers

Research Papers

Writing Reflection Papers

Tips for Writing Self-Reflections

Tips for Being a Successful Online Learner

Learning in the online environment is clearly different from taking classes in the face-to-face classroom. The following summarizes some tips to help you be as successful as possible in your courses and program:

• Log on to your courses at least twice weekly if not more. Assume that the first time you log on in a given week, it will be to make initial comments and see what others may have posted. Additional log-on time allows you to reflect and respond.

• Make sure that you are up to date on postings.

• Take responsibility for your own learning and plan to be a self-directed learner. Don't expect the instructor to provide you with all the information and direction you need in a course.

• Stay on top of your reading assignments and become good at research and analysis. Assume that taking initiative on your part will be positively received and will maximize your learning.

• Rely on and be responsible to your colleagues in a course. Be willing to provide good, constructive feedback to one another.

• If you feel lost or confused, ASK!!

• If you become upset or angry with something someone has posted, take a deep breath (or three or four!), wait twenty-four hours, and then respond. That posting generally looks very different the next day.

• Be prepared for the amount of time that online learning takes and make time for it in your week.

• Make sure to ask your family and friends for their support. You will need time to complete your work in this course – time that you may have to take away from them. Share your time management plan with them so that they understand the demands on your life now.

• Work on being flexible and patient. Life has a way of intruding in the online classroom that can sometimes be uncomfortable and trying. Technical issues and difficulties are also a part of that life. So "go with the flow" becomes an important mantra in this process! Remember that you are on the cutting edge of a new way of learning and earning a degree. Forging a new path can sometimes be difficult, but it can be less so if you flow with the challenges.

• Online learning is dynamic and exciting. You will learn not only about the material you are studying but also about the use of technology and how the use of technology can change the way you learn and interact. You will be developing new relationships in a new way. Enjoy it all!

Communication Tools

Here are a few of the most important online communication tools.

Emoticons

Emoticons (emotional icons) are used to compensate for the inability to convey voice inflections, facial expressions, and bodily gestures in written communication. Some emoticons are better known as "smileys." Emoticons can be very effective toward avoiding misinterpretation of the writer's intents. Although there are no standard definitions for the following emoticons, we have supplied their most usual meanings. Most emoticons will look like a face (eyes, nose, and mouth) when rotated ninety degrees clockwise.

:)  or  :-)           Expresses happiness, sarcasm, or joke

:(  or  :-(           Expresses unhappiness

:]  or  :-]           Expresses jovial happiness

:[  or  :-[           Expresses despondent unhappiness

:D  or  :-D         Expresses jovial happiness

:I  or  :-I           Expresses indifference

:-/  or  :-           Indicates undecided, confused, or skeptical. Also :/  or  :<

:Q  or  :-Q         Expresses confusion

:S  or  :-S         Expresses incoherence or loss of words

:</@>  or  :-</@>   Expresses shock or screaming

:0  or  :-O         Indicates surprise, yelling, or realization of an error ("uh oh!")

Acronyms

Acronyms are commonly used across the Internet to abbreviate communication. We do not encourage students to use acronyms in their discussion postings. However, when they are used, it is important to understand their meaning. We post these to assist everyone in understanding what is being said in online communication.

AAMOF           As a matter of fact

BBFN              Bye-bye for now

BFN                Bye for now

BTW               By the way

BYKT              But you knew that

CMIIW            Correct me if I'm wrong

EOL                End of lecture

FAQ                Frequently asked question(s)

FITB               Fill in the blank

FWIW             For what it's worth

FYI                 For your information

HTH                Hope this helps

lAC                 In any case

IAE                 In any event

IMCO              In my considered opinion

IMHO              In my humble opinion

IMNSHO          In my not so humble opinion

IMO                In my opinion

lOW                In other words

LOL                 Lots of luck or laughing out loud

MHOTY            My hat's off to you

NRN                No reply necessary

OIC                Oh, I see

OTOH             On the other hand

ROF                Rolling on the floor

ROFL               Rolling on the floor laughing

ROTFL             Rolling on the floor laughing

RSN                Real soon now

SITD               Still in the dark

TIA                 Thanks in advance

TIC                 Tongue in cheek

TTYL               Talk to you later

TYVM              Thank you very much

WYSIWYG       What you see is what you get

<G>               Grinning

<J>                Joking

<L>                Laughing

<S>                Smiling

<Y>                Yawning

Netiquette

Netiquette guidelines are an important component of the syllabus for an online course. To ensure that communication is professional and respectful, students need to be oriented to appropriate online communication. The following netiquette guidelines are adapted from those provided by Arlene Rinaldi, which can be found at www.cs.biu.ac.il/home/leagal/netguide/index.html.

Other sites where netiquette guidelines can be found are www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html and www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html.

Netiquette provides basic information about writing online, so you can do the following:

• Be properly understood.

• Get your points across effectively.

• Avoid getting anybody annoyed.

• Avoid looking like a "beginner" on the Net.

One of the first rules you learn when you get online is: Don't write EVERYTHING IN UPPERCASE!

Mixed-case text is more relaxing to read. See for yourself! HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SENTENCE WRITTEN ENTIRELY IN UPPERCASE! It may be easier to type that way, but it instantly tells everybody that you are new to the Net. Uppercase is sometimes used, when somebody wants to indicate that they are SHOUTING! But few people will read a message that SCREAMS at them.

When typing in a message, break it up into paragraphs. People often skip enormous blocks of text. You do want them to read what you say, don't you?

You should also put a blank line between paragraphs. This makes it easier to read.

Keep it short. There is a lot of information on the net, and when people read what you've written, they want you to get to the point. They're busy, and they simply don't have the time to read a message in which you are "thinking out loud."

Don't just make it up as you go along. Plan ahead.

So before you start to type, think first about what you want to say. Get your ideas straight in your head, and figure out how they all fit together. Then write it in as few words as possible.

Some people actually jot down notes before they type a message online. This helps them figure out what they need to say. Such people usually sound like they know what they're talking about, because their brief statements are never vague.

It's a good idea to use short paragraphs. This forces you to express yourself with a minimum of words. Also, bear in mind that it is harder to read text on a computer screen than in a book. Small paragraphs give the reader's eyes some relief.

Clarity

When you write something, make sure that people will understand you.

After you type in a message – and before you send it – try reading it out loud. Sometimes sentences that seem to be okay when you're typing don't really work when you read them back.

Avoid using acronyms. While some of these (such as BTW, which means "by the way") are well known, you can't be sure that all of your readers know what they mean. Net acronyms (BTW, ROFL, IIRC, IMNSHO, IANAL, etc.) may seem "hip" but if they confuse the reader, you may not get your point across.

Above all, avoid time-saving contractions, such as "ur" for "your," or "cya" for "see you later." When you use these, you're telling everybody that you can't type well enough to use complete words. Take a typing course if you have to – it will payoff very well in the years to come!

Note: Contractions may be appropriate in chat rooms, where fast typing is important. Still, do they save you that much time?

Quoting

This is the longest section in the guide, but it is one of the most important.

Many e-mail and message-board programs let you grab the entire message that another person has written and embed it in your reply. This is known as quoting. This feature, while useful, can actually make it less likely that people will read what you write.

Avoid Me-Tooing. Some people quote a huge message, then place a brief comment at the end, such as "I agree with this!" or "Me, too!" This can be annoying to the person who has to scroll all the way through the message, looking for the part that you wrote. It makes more sense for you to quote only a few important sentences that summarize the message adequately, and place your comment after that.

Actually, simply saying that you agree with something doesn't add much to the conversation. Why not tell people why you agree? You can state some of the reasons why you feel the way you do. This way, you will look like a thoughtful person who thinks carefully about things and considers all the facts.

Avoid Stepladdering. Sometimes people quote entire messages that contain quotes from earlier messages, which in turn contain quotes from still earlier messages. Message that contain "quotes in quotes in quotes" are said to be stepladdering.

Stepladdering is a serious problem, because by the time the reader gets to your text, it is not clear what you are commenting on.

Once again, you should extract only a few sentences that accurately represent the topic you are writing about. This saves the reader time, and ensures that the context of your reply is obvious.

Alternate Between Quotes and Your Comments. Sometimes it is not possible to find a few sentences in the original message that clearly convey what the writer was talking about. After all, the message may have covered several different topics. To make your replies more meaningful, alternate between carefully selected quotes and your comments.

Here is an example of selective quoting. The lines that start with the> symbol indicate text taken from the original message:

> So I said to him that Mac is better than Windows.

There is a comparison report in this month's issue of Computer World. It shows that each platform has unique advantages.

> The Mac interface was invented by Apple Computer.

Did you know that the Mac interface was based on a design from the Xerox PARC center?

> Still, Macs are better than PCs any day.

That really depends on what your application is, don't you think?

In this example, each comment is directly targeted at a specific comment made by the other person. Don't force your readers to guess at what part of the original message you are talking about.

There is no question that quoting effectively requires more effort than simply grabbing the entire text of what was written before. However, careful quoting will make your replies more organized, and your thoughts will come across more clearly.

When you use your valuable time to reply to a message, you want people to read and understand what you say. Don't let bad quoting habits make your messages unclear.

Why Bother? No matter how clever or intelligent you are, if you spell badly, people will take your words less seriously. That may not be fair, but that's the way it is on the net.

Most computers have one or more spell-check programs. Some of them even have spell-checkers built right in to the e-mail or browser software you are using. You owe it to yourself to learn how these work.

When you go to a party or reception, you take the time to make sure that you look your best. Well, people on the Net don't know how beautiful you are – they can only see what you type. So take the time to make sure that what you write makes you look good.

By the way, spell-check programs are not perfect. They tend to miss mistakes like this: “Always right your sentences carefully.” So even if you spell-check your text, it's a good idea to read it over before you send it.

Note: The Net is available almost everywhere in the world. Sometimes people may appear ignorant or uneducated because of bad spelling. Bear in mind, though, that they may not be writing in their native language.

Manners. There are many ways to get people on the Net annoyed with you, even if you are usually a polite person.

The worst problem is something called "keyboard bravery." When you are sitting comfortably in front of your computer, safe from the world, it is often tempting to write a message that is so harshly phrased that it is insulting. Everybody has, at times, felt like writing a scathing message.

The usual explanation for this behavior is "I'm just telling people what I think!" or "I'm only being honest!" Well, that may be true, but if you are not careful, you can offend somebody, and that can start an argument that benefits no one.

If you frequently get into nasty debates, you should visit a search engine and look for the word "netiquette." Much has been written about the importance of behaving diplomatically while online.

You should always read what you have written before you send your message. This will not only help you spot errors in spelling, phrasing, and grammar, but also may help you notice that you don't sound as friendly as you would like.

Feedback Guidelines

Note: The following feedback guidelines are an abbreviated version of netiquette guidelines that assist students in understanding what is meant by giving and receiving good feedback. Students rarely intuitively know how to give good feedback. Consequently, teaching them how to do so assists them in meeting course objectives and has the secondary advantage of promoting the development of critical thinking skills.

• Don't just make feedback up as you go along. Plan ahead.

• Before you start to type, think first about what you want to say. Get your ideas straight in your head, and figure out how they all fit together.

• Make some notes before typing a message online. This helps you figure out what you need to say.

• Use short paragraphs. This forces you to express yourself with a minimum of words.

• When you write something, make sure that people will understand you. After you type in a message – and before you send it – try reading it out loud. Sometimes sentences that seem to be OK when you're typing don't really work when you read them back.

• Some people quote a huge message, then place a brief comment at the end, such as "I agree with this!" or "Me, too!" This can be annoying to the person who has to scroll all the way through the message, looking for the part that you wrote. It makes more sense for you to quote only a few important sentences that summarize the message adequately, and place your comment after that.

• Simply saying that you agree with something doesn't add much to the conversation. Again, why not tell people why you agree and then state some of the reasons that you feel the way you do?

• Always read what you have written before you send your message. Not only will this help you spot errors in spelling, phrasing, and grammar, but you may also notice that you don't sound as friendly as you would like. Make sure your message is worded professionally and not harshly to avoid insulting those who will read it and inadvertently "flaming" other members of the group.

Time Management Tips and Tools

The ability to manage your time is a critical factor in your ability to be successful in an online course. The following tools will allow you to establish your goals and then set priorities and schedules for managing your time. The tools are not mandatory for you to use, but they may be useful if you find you are getting behind or feeling overwhelmed.

Some general tips for managing your time in an online course:

• Log on to the course site daily or every other day with the intention of reading only.

• Prepare your first post for the week in response to the discussion questions posed by the instructor or student facilitator – these should be your original ideas. So wait until after you have posted your response to begin reading the responses of your student colleagues.

• Print new messages if you need to in order to give yourself time to review them at your leisure.

• Once you have read and reviewed what's new, formulate your response off-line using your word processing program. This gives you time to think about what you want to say as well as to check your grammar and spelling. Do not feel that an immediate response is necessary-you can take your time!

• Once you have composed your response, copy and paste it to the course site.

Goal Inventory

The following are a couple of tools that may help you set goals and manage your time in an online course.

When thinking about your goals for learning, it is also important to consider how learning fits into the rest of your life. Begin by thinking about what you'd like to achieve over the next few years in each area of your life, potential obstacles that may inhibit your progress, and the initial steps you think you can take to get to where you want to be (Exhibit 1).

EXHIBIT 1: LIFE GOALS

Now that you have established your longer-term goals, what do you hope to accomplish during the next school term in each area? Prioritize them from most important to least important.

Your priorities are set! How will you structure your time so that you meet your short-term goals and priorities? Following are a weekly objectives list, a weekly planner, and a time summary sheet that you may choose to use in managing your time. Some people find these tools constraining. If so, find another way to struc­ture and monitor your time that feels comfortable for you. Also, remember that life will intervene in the best of plans. So don't get so locked into a schedule that you are unable to accommodate the interferences that are likely to occur. Remember: flexibility is the key to success in online learning!

Once you have your objectives for the week established (Exhibit 2), along with the time necessary to complete them, calendar the time on a weekly planner (Exhibit 3).

EXHIBIT 2: WEEKLY OBJECTIVES

EXHIBIT 3: WEEKLY PLANNER

So how did you do? Review your use of time for the week by using the Weekly Summary of Time Use (Exhibit 4).

EXHIBIT 4: WEEKLY SUMMARY OF TIME USE

Although this may seem like a cumbersome process, once you get into the habit of budgeting your time weekly, the amount of time you will need for planning will decrease and time management will become a habit.

Writing Research and Reflection Papers

We have found that students often need much guidance in the preparation and presentation of research and reflection papers. The following questions to consider in writing a research paper are an adaptation of work provided by Jeremy Shapiro at the Fielding Graduate Institute. This is followed by tips we have created for writing a research paper. In addition, we offer guidelines for the creation of a reflection paper that may be submitted either midterm or at the end of an online course as a self-evaluation piece.

Research Papers

Questions to consider in writing a research paper:

1. Why am I including this material?

2. What is the context for this work?

3. Have I constructed good transitions between ideas and sections?

4. Do my ideas follow a logical flow? Is the paper well organized?

5. Have I presented good evidence for my thoughts? Stated the strengths and weaknesses of my argument and the arguments in the literature?

6. What evidence do I have for my ideas?

7. Have I used references and formatted them appropriately using the APA style guide?

8. Have I used good grammar and complete sentences, and checked my spelling?

9. Have I defined all words or phrases?

10. Have I cited appropriately, giving credit for direct quotations and paraphrases?

Some other tips for research papers:

• Use subheads to set apart sections of text: they make you think twice about what you want to say and provide a list of the main points you want to get across, and they provide a guide or road signs for the reader.

• Remember to use subheads that are consistent with the content contained beneath them. One mistake often made is to compose creative subheads that do not relate to the content at all. That is not helpful for the reader.

• Provide an abstract at the beginning of the paper. It creates context and lets the reader know "Why am I reading this?" In general, when writing a paper, it is fine to use your own voice and avoid academic jargon. Don't be afraid to use "I" or "This author" when expressing your own opinion about a topic. But be sure to use parallel syntax for each point made. In other words, if using "I," don't revert to the third person in the next point or idea. Be consistent!

• Create a solid introduction section that sets the stage for the body of the paper. Your introduction should let the reader know the basis and rationale for your work and should provide important background information on the topic.

• When appropriate, include a methods section that informs the reader of the ways in which you conducted your research. Was it a literature review or did you do some interviews or use other means by which you gathered information for your paper?

• The discussion sections of your paper should elaborate on the various aspects of the topic and should demonstrate your command and understanding of the material. This is where subheads are particularly helpful in delineating the various topics that form the whole of your paper.

• Provide a good, solid conclusions section that ties all of your ideas together and perhaps points to ideas for further study. This is probably the most difficult part of the paper to write, so once you have covered all of your ideas, let the paper sit for a day or so to allow you to reflect on your conclusions.

Writing Reflection Papers

There are two types of reflection papers that you may be asked to write for a course. The first relates to the material studied in the course and should contain three elements:

• A summary of ideas

• An analysis of concepts

• A synthesis of thoughts and evidence of original thought

Here are some questions to consider when completing the three sections of a reflection paper related to course material:

Summary of Ideas

• What is the context for the information read or discussed?

• What information was presented in the reading or in course discussion?

• What are the key points of the arguments both pro and con?

Analysis of Concepts

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the ideas presented?

• Are there gaps or omissions?

• What are the implications of this work?

• What are the chief influences on this work and how are they manifested within it?

• How did the context of this work influence the outcome?

Synthesis of Ideas

• In summarizing and analyzing this work, what new ideas have emerged for me?

• What is my opinion or how do I view this material?

• What are some new areas of study that are indicated by this work?

• What criticisms do I have of this work?

• What do I see as the strengths or contributions of this work to the field as a whole?

• If gaps or omissions exist, how might they be filled?

Tips for Writing Self-Reflections

You may also be asked to write a final reflection of your overall learning process in the course. This is your opportunity to reflect on your learning, to evaluate the process, and to provide suggestions to the instructor for course improvement. When writing a reflection paper as an evaluation of your learning and the course, consider the following:

• Who was I as a learner before I entered this course?

• Have I changed? If so, how?

• How has my participation in this course changed my learning process or my view of myself as a learner?

• What have I gained (or not) by participating in this course?

• Have I learned anything new about the topic or myself?

• What suggestions do I have for future groups participating in this course or for the instructor of this course?

• Would I recommend this course to my friends and colleagues? Why or why not?

• How do I evaluate my own contributions to the course? What grade would I give myself?

Reference

Palloff, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2003). The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.