The Development of Online Student Skills: Successful online students share their secrets

Abstract

As more and more traditional adult learners participate in online instruction, there may be a significant change in the development of student skills. This study surveyed a group of adult students who graduated from online credit granting graduate level degree programs with a 3.50 cumulative GPA or better, to learn more about student skills that really worked for them. In this study, successful online graduates discuss their techniques in developing a time management strategy, making the most of online discussions, and how to use it or lose it. The participants in this study also describe how they make asking questions useful to their learning, stay motivated, and what online instruction techniques were the most useful. Another important technique discussed by these successful graduates is how to make a meaningful connection with fellow students in an online class. In addition to the discussion of successful online learning techniques, participants in the study also describe learning from their classmates by using asynchronous discussions, and other means of communication available to the online learner. The successful techniques described in this study can be useful for anyone considering online learning, as well as instructors and course developers in designing more effective and interactive online courses.