How the Online Environment Impacts the Student Role
Students bring many of the same expectations and responsibilities to an online course as they do in a face-to-face classroom. However, the online learning environment changes how students engage with course materials, interact with instructors and peers, and manage their learning. Because online courses often provide greater flexibility and independence, students must take a more active role in organizing their time, participating in discussions, and monitoring their own progress. Understanding these shifts can help instructors design courses that better support student success.
How the Online Environment Changes the Student Role
While many student responsibilities remain the same across learning environments, the online classroom requires students to take greater ownership of their learning and participation. The chart below highlights key similarities between face-to-face and online learning as well as ways the student role changes in an online course.
| Learning Responsibility | Face-to-Face Environment | Online Environment |
| Ownership of Learning | Students are responsible for learning the course material. | Students are more responsile for their learning in general (i.e,. not just learning the material, but asking questions, seeking out clarifying information, etc.). Students must be pro-active with their learning. |
| Participation & Engagement | Class participation is important. | Participation in an online class can take more effort than F2F. Students must be engaged in online discussions and make timely posts, for example. They must work to establish a social presence. |
| Peer Interaction & Collaboration | Interacting with peers contributes to a student's own learning. | Students must seek out opportunities, such as open student discussion forums, to interact with one another, and make full use of activites and assignments centered on interaction, such as discussions, peer feedback and group work. |
| Time Management | Students must complete all coursework to be successful. | Online, students need to organize and manage their time so they are working through the course throughout the semester. Procrastination happens more easily without the set structure of attending class each week. |
| Understanding Expectations | Students must find out what they're graded on. | Students need to clearly understand assignment and participation expectations, as they don't have the opportunity to ask for clarification and help F2F. |
| Academic Skills | Students need "non-content" skills to succeed (i.e., they need basic writing skills in a class, even if it's not an English course). | Students need technology skills in order to succeed in an online environment. |
| Adaptability | Students need to adapt to what is being asked of them in each class, assignment, etc. | Students need to also adapt to potential problems with technology, varying time constraints, etc. |
| Motivation & Self-Direction | Students must be motivated to learn. | Students must be motivated to not only learn the material, but also to ask for help when needed. They need to additionally be disciplined, proactive, and self-directed. |
| Technology Navigation | Students must know where the course will be held, and how to get there. | Online, students need to have a whole set of technology skills that help them to navigate through the course. |
| Seeking Feedback & Help | Students need feedback. | Without having the opportunity for instant F2F feedback, etc., it is the student's responsibility to clear up muddy points, ask questions, etc., and to initiate contact with their instructor. |