Am I prepared for online learning?

Online learning differs from traditional learning environments and practices. There is more inbuilt support in a traditional setting – the online learner is characterized as independent and willing to take on full responsibility for his/her learning.

Is an Internet course for you? How well will it fit your circumstances and your lifestyle? What about the learning philosophy used in the course? Will it fit my needs? Is the subject matter interesting to me? The questions in the table below are a guide to help you decide. Enter your score for each question and click on Total.

If "yes" score 3

 If "yes" score 2

 If "yes" score 1      

Enter Score

Importance of the course you are considering. The course I will take is important for my professional or personal development The course is somewhat important, but not critical The course is not very important for me.
Distance learning courses usually require at least twice the amount of time as classroom courses. I am fairly sure that I have enough time for this course. I probably have enough time for this course, but I will be very pressed on some occasions. I will have to forego other important commitments regularly to complete this course.
Time management is essential in distance learning courses. I often gets things done ahead of time. I frequently need reminding to get things done. I put things off until the last minute.
All communication in a distance learning course is over the Internet. Being in a classroom setting is not particularly important for me. Being in a classroom setting is somewhat important for me. Being in a classroom setting is very important for me
Self-motivation and self-discipline is required in the absence of a classroom instructor. I am able to set my own agenda and I am motivated to succeed in the course. I am somewhat motivated, and usually able to discipline myself. I am not very self-motivated or disciplined, and need to be prompted.
It is important to communicate clearly in writing in an Internet based course. My written communications ability very good. My written communications ability is about average. My written communications ability is poor.
When an instructor passes out instructions for an assignment ... I prefer to figure out what to do on my own. I prefer to get some clarification right then about anything that is not clear to me. I prefer to get detailed verbal instructions along with the written instructions.
It is necessary to be familiar with basic Internet use and e-mail. I am very familiar. I am not too experienced, but will learn I am not familiar with Internet use or e-mail.
As a reader, I would classify myself as ... good. I read fairly rapidly and I usually understand new concepts without help. average. My reading speed is about average and I sometimes need help to understand new concepts. poor. I am a slower than average reader and I struggle to understand written information.
When I am learning about something, I like to... explore aspects of the topic that interest me in detail, focusing on what seems important to me. cover the basics and sometimes I find some aspects of the topic that I like to explore in more detail. get through the material quickly. Further exploration usually does not interest me much.

If you scored over 25, then online learning should present few problems for you. If you scored between 15 and 25, online learning will probably work for you, but you need to make a few adjustments in your attitudes and planning to succeed. If you scored less than 15, online learning may not currently be a good option for you.