An online course is much like a traditional, face-to-face course in that it follows a schedule and syllabus and that assignments and quizzes are expected. Students are responsible for reading the online Lessons and related textbooks and handouts, and for completing all class learning activities on their own. But the big difference in an online course is that students can do the work any time of day and, typically, any day of the week. Instead of attending lectures, online students access course content (PowerPoint and video presentations, reading assignments, other web sites, etc.) via the Internet. The instructor can usually be reached by phone, course Forum, or e-mail.

The online schedule links to assignment instructions and other resources by means of an online course management system which can be used for presenting lessons, making announcements, holding Forum discussions, submitting assignments, taking quizzes and checking grades.

On the one hand, distance learning offers an outstanding opportunity for nontraditional students and anyone who's busy to fit higher education into their schedules. However, these classes require students to be disciplined, and not everyone is up to this task. Learning online can require some new strategies. Here are some tips:

Familiarize yourself with the course’s online delivery system
Spend some time just navigating your way through the class and making sure you can figure out what the buttons are for. Learn what modules and links you have access to and how can you use them to get to where you want to go. Find the course syllabus, schedule, calendar, requirements, methods of communication, where you go for help, etc. Take time to review any help files that are available.

Participate!
Whether you are working alone, or in a group, contribute your ideas, perspective and comments on the subject you are studying, and read about those of your classmates. Your instructor is not the only source of information in your course—you can gain great insight from your peers and they can learn from you as well.

Take full advantage of online communications
Whatever you can do to avoid feeling isolated is extremely important, and participating in the online Forum will give you access to other students who are taking the same course as you at the same time.

Be polite and respectful
Just because you are anonymous, doesn’t mean you should let yourself go. Remember, you are dealing with real people on the other end of your modem. Being polite and respectful is not only common sense, it is absolutely obligatory for a productive and supportive online environment. In a positive online environment, you will feel valued by your instructor, valued by your classmates and your own work will have greater value as well.

Take the program and yourself seriously
Elicit the support of your colleagues, family and friends before you start out on your online adventure. This built-in support system will help you tremendously since there will be times when you will have to sit at your computer for hours at a stretch in the evenings and on weekends. When most people are through with work and want to relax is most likely when you will be bearing down on your course work. It helps to surround yourself with people who understand and respect what you are trying to do.

Make sure you have a private space where you can study
This will help lend importance to what you are doing as well. Your own space where you can shut the door, leave papers everywhere, and work in peace is necessary. If you try to share study space with the dining room or bedroom, food or sleep will take priority over studying, and if in a den or family room, TVs and noisy music will become distractions. Focus. During your study time, avoid using the phone, surfing the Internet, or dealing with non-emergency family issues.

Log on to your course every single day
Make a study schedule. Set aside a certain number of hours each week to work on the course. Unless there is an emergency, stick to your schedule! Make sure you set aside enough hours, and, difficult as it may be, spend these hours working exclusively on school.

Reading the material is key
Remember that you won't have all those non-verbal cues that you get in the physical classroom and neither will your instructor. Also, your instructor's role will be much less that of the distributor of information, and much more that of a guide or resource for you in exploring an area of knowledge. Almost all your information will come in the form of words. Words on the screen help the instructor "see" you much more clearly. The teaching style used in online courses may be different from the traditional college model. Taking a class online means you won't be sitting quietly in the classroom; participation is even more essential. Don't read material just once. Multiple reading, line-by-line reading are among the keys to understanding. Don't expect too much, to soon. Study and then re-study.

Take interactive features and tools seriously
One of the coolest things about online courses is that they can be very interactive. You may be asked to link to relevant websites, watch relevant video clips, do online exercises, or answer online poll questions. Never skip these online features! It can be very tempting to dismiss these as busy work and skip ahead to the next part of the lesson. However, good online courses don't contain busy work. These interactive features are designed to help you learn the material and do well on the exams. You paid too much money for this class not to get the most out of it as you can, so do what you're asked to do.

Take advantage of your anonymity
When seeking help via the Forum, one of the biggest advantages of the online format is that you can pursue your studies without the judgments typical in a traditional classroom. Unless you are using video conferencing, no one can see you – there are no stereotypes, and you don’t have to be affected by raised eyebrows, rolled eyeballs, other students stealing your thunder, or people making other non verbal reactions to your contributions. You don’t have to feel intimidated or upstaged by students who can speak faster than you because you can take all of the time you need to think your ideas through and compose a response before posting your Forum comments.

Speak up if you are having problems
You have a number of options. First, look around the program to try and find the answers to your questions. When you enrolled in an online course you had an understanding that you could work in a self-directed environment. You can also post questions on the course Forum. It’s not unlikely that someone else has already had that same question. Finally, you may contact your instructor with any unanswered questions. Remember that your instructor cannot see you so you must be absolutely explicit with your comments and requests. If you are having technical difficulties, or problems understanding something about the course, you MUST speak up otherwise there is no way that anyone will know that something is wrong.

Apply what you learn
Apply everything you learn as you learn it and you will remember it more readily. If it is possible, take the things you learn in your online course today and use them in your appraisal practice tomorrow. Also, try to make connections between what you are learning and what you do or will do as an appraiser. Contributing advice or ideas about the real-world as it applies to the personal property appraising material you are studying helps you to internalize what you are learning, and it gives valuable insight to your classmates who will benefit from your experience.