HardCopy

One must treat an online class like an on campus course. One of the best ways to do this and stay organized is to make hard copies. When I began my first online course, I made a notebook just like I would have for any other course. I divided the notebook into weeks, quizzes, and projects.

Every Sunday, I would check into Blackboard and see what new information had been added to course materials. I would go through each section and read it and print it. Plus, if there were any links I would go to those and print them as well.

The beginning of the notebook had my instructor's information and a copy of the syllabus. Then I printed a calendar that ran for the duration of the course. Next were the tabs for the individual weeks. In the beginning of week one, I put a copy of any vocabulary words that we had learned and I would update that each week. Therefore, I always knew where to go for the vocabulary definitions. For the majority of the other sections, they would begin with a print out of the course materials for that week. That somewhat served as a table of contents for each section. After the course material listing, I would print all the material that pertained to the first topic and then move on to the second.

Having this notebook came in handy. If I was having trouble logging on to the computer, or Blackboard was down, I had a copy of everything I needed. Plus, after awhile my eyes get strained from looking at the computer too long. It was nice to be able to walk away from the computer and desk and sit on the couch and read my articles. In addition, if I was working on a quiz (open book) or project, I could refer to my notebook instead of having to go back into Internet Explorer and get on to Blackboard and find what I needed.

It might be a little extra work and extra paper and ink, but it was well worth it. The notebook helped me with my organization, time management, and overall learning. Plus, once I finish an online course and no longer have access to the course documentation through Blackboard, I still have my notebook with all the information I need. -- MollyIngram - 03 Jul 2005