• Are you comfortable working alone and in a group?
• Are you motivated to complete a task by a given deadline?
• Are you willing to put time into reading new material and asking questions when you don't really understand?
• Are you comfortable using email, public discussion forums, and chat rooms to resolve problems you may have?
  
  

All of these are questions you should ask yourself. Your honest answers will help you determine if the online learning environment is suited for your learning style. Instructors and students must change their approach to education when in the online classroom. Below are a few of the most common differences that you will experience in the online environment.

The content is usually not just "handed" to you, as in traditional lectures.

Although some material will be posted to your course and may be labeled "lecture notes", in most cases you will be expected to process the material more actively and thoroughly than you're accustomed to doing. This may seem overwhelming at first. You may be expected to answer questions, pose counter-arguments, or play devil's advocate.

You must prioritize your learning needs.

There is a wealth of material available on the Internet! Your instructor may give you a loosely stated assignment and allow some flexibility in how you meet the assignment. This requires initiative, self-direction, discipline, and focus. 

You maintain a dialogue with your instructor and fellow students.

No sleeping here! In most classes, the instructor will expect you to actively participate in discussion forums, and the quality of your messages counts. No one wants to download a message that says, "I agree". Responses should be thoughtful and meaningful and ALWAYS use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.   

No one will rush you.

There's no need to talk off the top of your head. Many people need time to organize their thoughts before speaking. With online learning, shy and reserved students can take the time they need to formulate an answer, or ask a question. Also, you should never respond to others in haste; if you're upset you should always wait to respond until you have given yourself time to think about the situation and respond tactfully so your response is constructive.

Learning online makes the best use of your time.

You will probably discover that you find more to learn simply because so much more is now available to you. The types of assignments given in the online classroom often vary from what is required in the seated classroom. In the seated classroom students are captive audiences waiting for their instructor to fill them with knowledge through lectures, classroom discussions, etc. In the online classroom the information is presented but it is your responsibility to take the information, read it, research, and complete assignments to apply what you've learned.