An online course requires special discipline. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Don't procrastinate.
    Students who fail in online courses almost always let themselves get behind. As a semester progresses, they get buried deeper and deeper. In the end, they take shortcuts to finish or don't finish at all. By keeping up from the start, you'll find a rhythm of work and sail smoothly through! Develop a habit of reviewing your weekly assignment summary the first day it is released so you know what is required.

  2. Develop a regular schedule.
    Online learning can happen at any time and from many different places. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to take the course at any time of day. You'll do better if you set aside a block of regular time to get work done. Guard this time against interruptions just as you would guard the time to attend a face-to-face course.

  3. Print the course calendar and any other course schedules.
    Put the important dates in your day planner or hang them next to the area where you typically work on the course. Print other important course references and keep those handy as well. Keep an eye on which assignments are coming up and when you'll be moving on to the next section. While assignments may appear on the course calendar in Moodle, DO NOT depend entirely on the calendar for your weekly assignments. Discussion Forums are often considered "assignments" and could be a large part of the course grade - however, dates for Forum submissions DO NOT appear in the course calendar. 

  4. Start big assignments early.
    At the start of the course, determine which assignments are worth the most points or will take the most work. Set your schedule for these assignments, dividing the work into reasonable chunks. 

  5. Complete assignments before the due date.
    This is one of the biggest secrets to success in online courses. By planning to finish early, you prevent any disasters due to technical problems at the last minute. You will win your instructor's favor because he or she can start correcting your work early instead of having to do it all in a day or two. As a result, you'll get more personal feedback (and maybe a chance to fix your work if there are problems.) In the case of interactive assignments like discussion forums, you'll get much more feedback than those who post at the last minute.

  6. Speak up if you are having problems.
    You must be explicit with your questions and requests. If you are having technical difficulties, or problems understanding something about the course, assignment instructions, etc., you MUST speak up. If you don't understand something, chances are several people have the same question. If another student is able to help you, he/she probably will, and if you are able to explain something to your classmates in need, you will not only help them out, you will reinforce your own knowledge about the subject.