Resources for Online Learners

These resources are available to help students succeed in their online courses. Note: Links open in a new window.

Time Management

You should be proficient with time management to be successful in an online course. Since there is no physical classroom, you must commit to the time set aside for your online course work. Visit the following pages to learn more about time management:

Time Management Tutorial (UC Santa Cruz)
Time Management Tips (Northeastern)

Writing

The majority of communication in an online course occurs in the form of writing. You should be able to communicate effectively through writing, whether it is an email, a discussion board post, or a paper. The Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR) and the Writing Center have a compilation of resources for writers.

Resources for Writers

Reading Strategy

Good reading strategy can help you to be more efficient by making connection for comprehension instead of just relying on your memory. Visit the following pages to learn more about reading strategy.

Active Reading Tutorial (Penn State)
Reading Comprehension Tips (UNC Chapel-Hill)

Note Taking

Good notes can help you identify important points in the lectures and learn some of the more difficult concepts. How well do you take notes? Visit the following web pages to learn more about note taking.

Note Taking Tutorial (Penn State)
Note Taking Tips (Harvard)

Active Listening

Listening is part of communication. You must listen well in order to communicate well. Active listening skills help you listen more carefully before forming a well thought out response. Visit the following pages to learn more about active listening.

Active Listening Tutorial (Penn State)
Active Listening Tips (UNC Chapel-Hill)

Problem Solving

Problem solving is essential for academic success. These skills help you use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems. You use some kind of problem-solving methodology when you do research, put together an argument for an essay, or develop a plan of action. Visit the following pages to learn more about problem solving.

Problem Solving Tutorial (Penn State)
Problem Solving Tips (Rhodes College)

Technical Requirements

Online courses are taught in Blackboard. Familiarizing yourself with Blackboard will help reduce your frustration while participating in online activities. Be sure to run the Blackboard Browser Check and only use one of the supported browsers for your course work. Contact IT Helpdesk for any Blackboard or computer-related issues. IT Helpdesk also provides support for Ole Miss email, campus network, and cloud storage.

Some online courses may require additional software. Please check the course syllabus.

About Blackboard
Blackboard Browser Check
Blackboard Browser Support
IT Helpdesk Website
New Computer Recommendations