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The process of earning online degrees and
traditional degrees can differ greatly.
However, thanks to advances in technology,
communication with instructors can be very
similar, which can help students adjust to
an online educational program.
Many instructors have adapted to online
communication via e-mail and instant
messaging. Those familiar with basic e-mail
shouldn't have a difficult time adapting to
communication with online degree
instructors, as generally the first and
foremost means of communication for
individuals looking to interact with their
instructors is e-mail.
E-mail is a great way to introduce yourself
to your new instructors, since you generally
won’t have the face-to-face interaction of a
traditional education when partaking in an
online degree program. E-mail will then
usually be your go-to communication with
your instructor when you have any questions.
If you are using a personal account, be sure
to add your instructor’s e-mail to your
address book to receive the necessary
e-mails you will need for classes. If you
are having trouble getting e-mails from your
professors, check your spam folders. You may
need to adjust your spam filter or "white
list" your professor's e-mail address. This
involves putting the e-mail address on a
list of trusted people so your spam filters
won't block important e-mails.
E-mail is your most important means of
communication when participating in an
online degree program so make sure that you
have the means of receiving your e-mails.
Free accounts are available through a
variety of hosts, like Gmail, AOL, MSN and
many others. No matter what you use, be sure
that the account has the capability to
handle large e-mails. If you are sending in
multimedia presentations or papers to your
professor, you want to make sure your e-mail
can handle it.
Though online communication bears a close
resemblance to traditional communication,
earning online degrees breeds even more
digital opportunities when interacting with
faculty. Beyond e-mail, one of the most
common methods that instructors use to
communicate with students is discussion
boards. Instructors can initiate, mediate
and sustain conversation on discussion
boards about course topics through digital
means with active participation from
individuals in the course. These discussion
boards are one of the best tools used in
online degree programs for instructors to
maintain contact with their class as a whole
and help to create a classroom environment.
You will want to maintain active
participation on your class discussion board
to stay involved in classroom discussion and
to get help with class work and assignments.
Though not all institutions or courses have
this option, this is a fairly common way
that instructors communicate and interact
with their students.
Other methods that institutions use to
bolster student and instructor relations are
through the use of instant messaging and
real-time chatting. Though the options vary
from school to school and course to course,
this is another great way to maintain
connections and communications between
students and instructors. This option of
communication can be a great tool in getting
immediate answers and quick assistance when
trying to complete an online degree program.
Some online degree programs even offer
office hours for their individual
instructors. Depending upon your feasibility
and location in comparison to your
instructor’s office, this may be a great way
to get some face-to-face time with your
instructor to help you out with your studies
in your online degree program. If you have
the means of traveling or if your instructor
gives you the opportunity to come in for
office hours, you will definitely want to
take advantage of this firsthand interaction
to connect with your instructor.
Whichever means of communication you choose
to use, the best thing you can do is connect
with your instructor to establish and
maintain a relationship with them in the
beginning of your course. Whether this means
scheduling appointments during their office
hours or emailing on a daily basis to stay
on track with your studies, communication is
a key element in education, regardless of
its online or traditional nature. Because
online degree programs are distant to begin
with, you will want to reinforce a more
personal relationship that may be harder to
initiate online than in a traditional degree
program. The better your instructor knows
you, the better he or she is able to help
you with your work, and further, the better
you will be at finding success in your
studies.
Take the time to let your instructor know
who you are so you can get the most out of
your online degree program.
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