Are you ready to take an online course?

Use the following self assessment to help you determine if you  are ready to take an online course through Edmonds Community College. This assessment  covers both technical as well as learning style considerations. 

You may want to print this page so you can spend more time  considering both the questions and your answers. This is strictly a self assessment  tool, so give yourself honest answers.
For more information about how online courses work, see our Online Quick Referencel Web pages.

 1. Can you run the applications you need to use on a computer?This should include any specific applications which may be required as part of this  course.
 2. Can you create, save and manage files on your computer?
 3. Do you know how to install software on your computer if you need  to

Internet Access

 1. Can you access Internet email and the World Wide Web (WWW) at least twice a week?
 2. If you do not have your own computer, can you get to campus to use the computer labs or arrange to use some other computer at least twice a week?

Internet Skills

 1. Do you currently have an email address?
 2. Do you know how to send and receive email messages?
 3. Do you know how to attach a file to an email message?
 4. Do you know how to "paste" text from a word processor into an email message?
 5. Do you know how to receive a file attachment from an incoming  email message?

Learning Style Considerations:

1. Do you stay on task without direct supervision (or do you work best when someone is there to help keep you focused)?
2. Can you prioritize your own workload (or  do you tend to put tasks off for later)?
3. Do you learn best from reading text and assignments (or do you learn best from spoken or visual presentations)?
4. Do you enjoy learning new computer or technology skills (or does the thought of having to learn new computer or technology skills  cause you anxiety)?
5. Do you usually understand written instructions (or does having instructions explained make a big difference for you)?
6. Are you planning to allocate as much time in your schedule for  your online course as you would for a more "traditional' classroom course (because the workload and time commitment will be the same!)?
7. Are you good at assessing your own progress (or do you need instructor feedback right away)?

How to Assess Your Answers:
If you answered "No" to any of the Technical  Consideration questions above, you may want to reconsider taking a course  online. At the very least, you will have some technology to learn in addition to the  curriculum of the course(s) you take, and you should make extra time in your schedule  accordingly. All of the skills mentioned above are used in most of our online courses. The  Online Quick Refference Web pages provide some information on many of these subjects.  Edmonds Community College also offers Internet training courses both in our computer labs as well as a six-week Internet Fundamentals course offered  online. Technical support is available throughout the quarter; however, in most cases you  will be expected to already know how to use the Internet and the tools referenced  above.  You can also find several excellent tutorials on using email and the WWW at  the Newbie-U Web site.

In the Learning Style Consideration questions, being able  to answer the questions affirmatively is a good indicator that you are well suited to the  online classroom environment. If your answers lean more toward the statements/questions in  parentheses (in red letters, above) , then you may find the online learning environment less  satisfying. Most of our online courses make use of a classroom discussion list which  allows interaction between students and instructors as well as between students.   However, email based interaction can be less satisfying than face-to-face communication  for some learners. The online classroom requires you to structure your own schedule,  balancing your time around the assignments/requirements of the class. Without the need to  show up in a particular place at a designated time each week, some learners find it all  too easy to put work off until the last minute. Much of the material covered in a typical  online class will require you to learn from reading. This may include textbooks,  Internet-based materials and written "lectures" or notes from your instructor.
This self assessment has been created to help you decide  if online learning is for you. It can serve as an indicator but not as a definitive  answer. If you have any questions about taking a course online, please contact us. We are here to assist you.

For questions about the technology used in online courses,  contact Yvonne Jones (425) 640-1086 (yjones@edcc.edu).  For questions relating to registration or the program in general, contact the Distance  Learning Office at (425) 640-1098 or ttorres@edcc.edu.  If you have any questions about a particular course, please contact the instructor  (contact information provided on each course Web site).