Introduction
What is Distance Learning?

Are you ready?

• Is distance learning for you?
• Take a quiz
• Technical requirements
• Student success workshop

Distance learning requires students who are self-motivated and are self-disciplined to keep on task without monitoring from others.  In fact, the single biggest factor in determining a student's success is the student's motivation to succeed.

Remember that there may be barriers to your classroom success such as:

• Technology that doesn’t work;
• Your experience and comfort level with computers;
• Family and professional distractions that compete for your time and attention;
• Feelings of isolation from other students and the instructor;
• Frustrations with learning the new classroom environment, such as the software or hardware.

The distance learning option will allow students to take courses that might otherwise not be able to attend campus-based classes.  However, the reasons for taking an Internet-based course should be valid ones, such as:

• The ability to set your own study schedule;
• The opportunity to use familiar technology to learn new subjects;
• The freedom to plan your own schedule to better meet family and professional obligations while continuing your education
• The motivation and self-discipline to keep yourself on task in the absence of the instructor;

Students are cautioned not to take an Internet-based course for the wrong reasons that may include:

• Thinking the online courses will be easier (this is definitely not true!)
• Overloading your class schedule with an additional course;
• Avoiding keeping up with course work such as reading assignments and posting to the discussion boards;
• Cheating or plagiarizing.

To prepare for the Web-based classroom, we suggest that you take a brief workshop entitled “Student Success in the Online Classroom”.  This workshop steps you through each of the critical areas needed by students to succeed as a Web-based distance student.