Six ways universities can improve their online experience

Not long ago, I decided to join this trend in online learning. Although it was difficult combining my personal life with my studies, I managed to succeed. Administrators and professors can go a long way in assisting students with various aspect of their education simply by listening to students’ feedback.

1. Professor-Student Communication Methods

Every class consists of any number of students who need to be heard and whose problems need to be addressed in a timely manner. It is beneficial for students to have the telephone number of their instructors, so when they experience problems they can be dealt with immediately. Communicating via the phone can make expressing concerns easier, so the professor understands the student better and he or she can respond more easily. This is not only beneficial with addressing concerns, but it also helps students stay more actively involved in their progress.

2. Interactive Lessons

It can be difficult for students to sit through lectures and read over course material, especially when the lessons aren’t engaging. It is very easy to get off-track. I found interactive lessons were easy to follow and kept me interested. Incorporating lessons for different learning styles will help more students be successful with distance learning. If not, students should be given ways to use their learning style within the first block of classes that they can incorporate throughout a distance-learning program.

3. Access to Updated Grades

With the many demands on their time and attention outside of class, distance learners are under a lot of pressure. Having to evaluate one’s own grade can be time-consuming and frustrating. The classes that keep an updated gradebook online aid students in succeeding, monitoring progress and identifying problematic areas.

4. Resources for Time Management

Online students must learn to manage their time wisely, especially when they have other obligations such as a family and/or a job. Using a cellphone's to-do list app along with a calendar can be helpful, but colleges and universities can help also by including resources to assist with time management and scheduling on the distance learning website.

5. Easy-to-Navigate Student Library

Internet-based student libraries must be user-friendly. A student's time is valuable and a library that is difficult to navigate is not convenient and it attributes to additional stress.

6. User-Friendliness

Not only should the library be simple to use, so should the entire distance learning site. Updates may be beneficial and may attract additional students, but changing the format can be confusing to regular users, forcing them to relearn the site, especially if the new site is complicated to navigate. Using a survey to determine how well users like the site can aid the staff in meeting students' needs in terms of the ease of use.

7. Student Resources

Having a grammar and spell-check set up through the student's online "desk" can make learning grammar and spelling easier. Spelling and grammar checks can improve student essays, which could ultimately lead to an improved grade. Additionally, these resources tend to check for style rules that apply specifically to the school and the proper formatting—information a student might otherwise not know or use.