Required: How to Succeed in our Courses


All students MUST take this 1-2 hour pre-requisite course before starting any of our courses.

You must pass a test once you have completed this introductory course.

Here are some Tips to Succeed in your Online Courses at Hawai’i On Line University

Online students should plan ahead and connect with instructors early before starting any classes.

As you are you considering taking some or all of your courses online, make sure you’re ready to succeed. Sometimes, Online learning can sound so easy ad wonderful that some students start with an unrealistic vision.

In reality, online courses require a lot of work, concentration and just as much, if not more, time and energy as traditional classroom courses. It also requires specific computer skills and learning strategies in order to succeed at them.

All students should not have a carefree attitude when taking an online course, because some may prove to be more difficult than traditional classes. “In my opinion, I think online courses are actually a little harder,” https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2013/01/14/5-tips-to-succeed-in-an-online-course

“Make sure before the course starts that your computer will work with [all the online tools], and that you know how to navigate them so that you don’t have to spend time during the course trying to figure out the technology.”

Test yourself to see if you’re ready to succeed. Let’s see how many of the following skills you have:

1. Persistence

Students who succeed are those who are willing to tolerate technical problems, seek help when needed, work hard everyday on every class, and prevail through challenges. Online learning requires independence, internal motivation, responsibility, and a certain level of maturity.

a) All instructors are different and may require different sets of writing skills. “Once I started coordinating with [my instructor], I realized I needed to change my writing style,” Finley says. “You have to really stay in contact; it’s extremely important.”

b) “Help is available but it’s not going to be available at the snap of a finger,” he says. “You can’t just think you’re going to be able to reach right out with a problem. You have to be willing to go out and find things on your own.”

c) You need to dedicate two-to-three hour time blocks to log in and complete assignments. This is extremely important.

d) Have a consistent workspace: One thing online and in-class courses have in common is that students still need a place to study or complete assignments, whether that’s at a coffee shop, the school library, or at home. Wherever students choose to study and complete assignments, they should make it a consistent location that’s free of outside interferences, notes Rochester’s Wolf. (Lytle, 2013)

2. Effective Time-Management Skills

The flexibility of online learning can be a drawback to students who procrastinate, are unable to commit to a study schedule, or are unable to complete assignments without daily reminders from the instructor.

Here are some effective time-management tips:

Tip 1: Read your course calendar provided in your instructor’s syllabus – If you know the due dates, you will be able to spread out your coursework, so you can complete tasks in a timely manner.

Tip 2: Make schedules – Make weekly assignment sheets and check them off as you complete them. You may consider purchasing a planner.

Tip 3: Stay organized – If you have separate binders, notebooks, and folders, you will be able to locate assignments easier. Also, avoid clutter.

Tip 4: Stay healthy – Practicing regular exercise keeps energy levels up, resulting in a more engaged mind. Getting adequate sleep and eating healthy also helps.

3. Effective and Appropriate Communication Skills

Use the tools provided by the university to communicate with your instructors. These might include e-mail, as this is the most successfully manner of communicating with your instructor. There are also, when provided, discussion boards, chat room office hours, by cellphones, and even text messaging. Instructors want to help you to succeed in your classes.

Use appropriate style and language for school. You should write in full, grammatically correct sentences with a respectful tone. There is no room for sloppiness. Address you instructor as “Professor” with decorum and respect, please.

Netiquette covers not only rules of behavior during discussions, but also guidelines such as the following:

  • Include a subject line. Give a descriptive phrase pertaining to your message (not just “Hi!”)
  • Avoid sarcasm. People who do not know you may misinterpret your meaning. This is especially appropriate when communicating with your instructor and or other students.
  • Acknowledge and return messages promptly. Check your student email and course messages for important information sent to you from your instructors.
  • Use appropriate language. Never use coarse, rough, or rude language. Observe good grammar and spelling. Check your writing for appropriateness and grammar before hitting the sent button.
  • Use appropriate intensifiers to help convey meaning. No all caps in your writing. Avoid “flaming” (online screaming) or sentences typed in all caps. Use asterisks surrounding words to indicate emphasis.
  • Any derogatory or inappropriate comments regarding race, gender, age, religion or sexual orientation are unacceptable and subject to disciplinary action and will get you dismissed from the university. No exceptions.
  • The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, a regional accrediting body for community colleges in California, requires that distance-education courses ensure regular substantive interaction” between instructor and student.

4. A Good Study Environment

Get some peace and quiet away from distractions from things such as television, family, or roommates.

Avoid games. Consider uninstalling any computer games to avoid temptation.

Turn of your cellphone. Let family and friends know the hours you will be unavailable.

Consider ergonomics. Adjust the height of your chair, keyboard, screen so you are comfortable. Forearms and thighs should be level and parallel to the floor. Do not bend your wrists while typing.

Set up good lighting. Lighting in the room should be at least as bright as the computer screen to avoid eye strain.

5. Ability to Uphold Academic Integrity

Students enrolled at the Hawai’i On Line University Academy are expected to uphold standards of academic integrity.

Any act of dishonesty in academic work constitutes academic misconduct and is subject to disciplinary action and or dismissal. Acts of dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism and cheating. These actions warrant university dismissal.

  • Cheating is an act of dishonesty with the intention of obtaining and/or using information in a fraudulent manner. Students must not permit or allow any others to complete course assignments and then submit these assignments as their own work. Students must not use any information (class notes, textbook, outlines) that the instructor has not authorized to complete examinations. Only the student enrolled in the course can take examinations. The breaking of any of these rules will warrant university dismissal, as well.
  • Plagiarism is the act of taking and/or using the ideas, work, and/or writings of another person as one’s own. No copying and pasting of other material from the web or other students. Students must not use material from other sources without clear and specific acknowledgement of the source. Students must conduct their own research and write their own projects. As an enrolled student in Hawaii On Line University, you are not allowed to purchase papers, projects, and present them as yours in any or your class assignments.

The instructor and or the university will set and impose the penalties upon students who have engaged in any type of plagiarism or academic misconduct. In most cases it means you will get a (0) zero on your assignment or dismissal from the course or university. An expanded description of the university policy on academic integrity as well as penalties can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog. Students are urged to carefully review this policy. (Southern Arkansas University, n.d.) https://web.saumag.edu/online/succeed/

Computer Requirements

To complete an online degree program or take courses completely from your home computer, your computer system will need to meet some basic minimum requirements to be able to use the Blackboard application or Adobe Connect or Zoom.

System

  • Operating System: Windows XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), Mac OSX 10.5 “Leopard®”, Mac OSX 10.6 “Snow Leopard®”
  • Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE): JRE 6
  • JavaScript: Enabled
  • Cookies: Enabled

Browser

  • Windows: Internet Explorer 8 or higher, Firefox 3.6 or Firefox (Final Release Channel), Chrome (Stable Channel),
  • Mac OS X: Firefox 3.6 or Firefox (Final Release Channel, Safari 4.0 or higher, Chrome (Stable Channel)

Computer Requirements

  • Processor – 1 GHz processor
  • Memory – 512 MB of RAM
  • Monitor Resolution –1024 x 768
  • Free Hard Disk Space – 5 GB
  • Internet Connection – Broadband Internet connection with minimum speed of 1.5 Mbps
  • Java – 1.6.0_29 or higher
  • Earphones
  • Speakers, if necessary
  • Microphone if your instructor requires two way communication.
  • There may be other additional requirements as given by your instructor for each course.

 

References

 

Lytle, R. (2013). Tips to Succeed in an Online Course. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2013/01/14/5-tips-to-succeed-in-an-online-course

Southern Arkansas University. (n.d.). How to Succeed in Online Courses. Retrieved July 16, 2018, from https://web.saumag.edu/online/succeed/