When compared to traditional, in-person courses, online course requirements have a number of similarities as well as differences. The most important difference is attendance; since students cannot physically come to class, instead they are generally required to log on and post on a discussion board or forum on a regular basis. Otherwise, many of the requirements for online courses are the same. Students will need to complete their assignments as specified and by the due date, as well as complete any prerequisites before signing up for the course in the first place. As with most other courses, the online course requirements will be specified on a syllabus, typically distributed within the first few days of class.
Though students may not expect this to be true, one of the most important online course requirements is attendance. An online course that does not have frequent student participation, similar to class discussions, will not be a very successful class. Since students cannot physically sit in class, they must demonstrate their attendance in other ways by participating in forum or chat discussions. In order to do this successfully, it is necessary to complete the reading assignments or any written projects on time as well. Many online course instructors are very strict about the frequency with which students must post to a discussion board.
Other online course requirements are similar to those of most other traditional courses. Students must submit their assignments by the due date, and complete them as specified in the instruction. Usually, assignments are simply emailed or uploaded to a website by a certain time. In addition, they need to pass any tests or quizzes that are given, as well as complete any projects. Certain online courses will even require group projects, which can be a challenge, but instructors use them to facilitate relationships among students.
It is important to learn about the prerequisites for online courses as well. Just like in a traditional learning environment, students must take certain courses or reach a certain level of knowledge before they are eligible to take online courses. Any other, more specific online course requirements will be detailed on the syllabus before class begins, and students should feel free to ask their instructors about anything which seems unclear. It can be a challenge to switch to online learning and fulfill all of the new course requirements, but most people can get used to it in a fairly short period of time, and many find it to be a great way to expand their education.
