There are a few questions you may have if you’re brand new to online learning. This section answers a few:

• Where is the online classroom?
• What are we going to do there?
• How do I communicate in class?

Where is the online classroom?

Online classes usually take place in what’s called a Learning Management System (LMS). This is essentially a web site that requires a log in, which will be provided by your school. (Many schools use either your student ID number or your student e-mail address to grant access to the LMS). A list of popular LMS are at the right; you may see your school or instructor refer to these. Once you log in, you’ll likely see a list of your courses somewhere on the main page, often called a dashboard or learning home. (Different schools use different terms).

Usually, once you click on your class name, you’ll see the class’s content appear. This class is only accessible to you and your classmates and your teacher or other approved college personnel. Much like taking a class in person, only people who have signed up for the class can attend the lectures and turn in assignments.

The learning management system is where you’ll find everything you’d get in your in-person class. You’ll see an explanation of what to do each week, you might see links to readings or videos, and you’ll probably turn in your assignments and receive feedback and grades through the online course.

What do we do in class?

Online classes aren’t that different from in-person classes. You’ll still have work to do. You’ll still have content to read (or watch). You’ll still need to prove that you’ve learned what the course is teaching. It’s just that all of this will now happen online, meaning you’ll get your lecture or reading or activity while sitting at the computer (or gazing down at your phone). If you’re in a math class, you’ll still probably have a math text to read, math homework to complete, and math tests or projects to complete, for instance. You’ll also have the chance to watch someone demonstrate working through problems, and you may have a chance to work with other students to test your own understanding.

Every online class has its own plan, but a few types of work are pretty common in today’s systems.

Typical Online Assignment Types

There are a few typical kinds of assignments in an online course. I’ve put brief descriptions below. Remember, your course might call them something else, but you’re likely to see at least one of these assignment types:

Forum (Discussion): Sometimes, the instructor will ask you to post to a discussion board or forum. These are places where threaded conversations happen. That usually means one person posts something (a question, or a reflection on a topic, or maybe a summary or a video) and others can comment or reply on their post. Some of these allow video or audio replies or ask you to upload a file, but most discussions will be written. Many classes require an initial post (your answer to the question) and then a few replies to others.

Assignment (Submission): You may be asked to upload items during the course. In in-person courses, you might be asked to bring something to class, like a paper, portfolio, or poster to class to turn in. In an online class, these same turn-in options happen through the learning management system. That means you’ll need to know how to upload files to the course. Usually, this is similar to attaching a file to an e-mail. Look for an icon like a paperclip or for a button marked “upload” or “attach” as a way to add a file to your assignment.

Sometimes, assignments will ask you to write directly into the online system. You might see a wide-open textbox where you’re asked to write a reply. Unless you’re told to do otherwise (like in a timed test), it’s best to write your reply in another place first. This could be in a word processing program (like Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, or Google Docs), into the body of an e-mail, or even by hand. Then, you should copy your content into the online submission box. This helps you make sure your answer is saved — just in case the system times out. There’s almost nothing more frustrating that writing a long, detailed answer and then losing it because your wifi cut out unexpectedly!

Quiz or Exam: Many online courses use automatically graded quizzes or exams to evaluate your work. These can include all kinds of questions: true/false, multiple choice, matching, essays, short answers, picture identification… anything you might see in an in-person class (and some types you would not!) will show up on online exams. These can also be timed or require a password for access. Your instructor should let you know when the exams will be available and for how long.

Some classes may require proctored test taking, which means that you’ll need to be in a certain location or have special tracking software installed to take the test. Make sure you know whether this will be required right away, as these arrangements can take time to set up!

One other way online quizzes might differ from their in-person counterparts is that they might allow you multiple tries. Look for information on quiz scoring in the class syllabus, in any weekly overview of the class, or on the starting page for the quiz itself. Your instructor should also let you know whether you’re allowed to use outside resources on these quizzes or not.

How do I communicate in an online class?

One you’ve joined an online course, you might wonder how to get in touch with your instructor or your classmates. While every class will have slightly different policies, a few methods are common throughout online learning.

Email: Typically, a substantial part of online communication happens through the e-mail address you have registered with your school. While enrolled in online courses, plan to check your e-mail address regularly to look for course announcements and communications. In addition, instructors will often provide their e-mail address for students. Many will also provide a response time estimate (example: e-mails will be returned within 24 hours). Remember: Your online instructors aren’t in front of their computers 24 hours a day. While some can receive their school e-mail messages on mobile devices, others may answer only when they’re in their office. If no response time policy exists for your class, 1-2 business days is a good guideline for how quickly to expect a response.

LMS messaging: Many systems provide messaging from within the course. These messages generally work the same way that e-mail messages do, and some may even be forwarded to e-mail accounts. You might be able to explore your LMS and see if you can set your preferences to deliver messages to your e-mail account (or to stop delivering, if you’d prefer not to receive them). Otherwise, plan to check your LMS inbox whenever you log in to the course.

Many LMS are set up to notify you, through messages, when you’ve received a new grade on an assignment. They may also be set up to allow other classmates to contact you, and they usually provide a secure way to exchange information about grades and class policies. Check your course syllabus to see if your instructor uses the messaging system.

Online forums: Some instructors set up help, peer-to-peer, Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) or Question and Answer (Q&A) forums. These are usually places where you can post course questions to see if anyone else has an answer. Forums are generally open to everyone in the class, so you can’t ask a specific question about your grade there, but you might be able to find answers to questions about due dates, content, or navigation. In general, if you have trouble finding something in a course, you can guess that someone else has had the same problem, so it makes sense to take advantage of their experience!

Online video meetings/conferences: Instructors may set up online meetings for a variety of reasons. An online video meeting requires at least one person to have a video or webcam and a microphone. Everyone should have speakers and the ability to type to participate. Mobile smartphones (which have cameras, microphones, and speakers built in) are usually well-equipped to participate in a video meeting as long as they have a high-speed, stable Internet connection.

Sometimes, online video conferences are view-only, which means you’d log in and watch someone else’s presentation. You might be able to ask questions by typing them or asking them over audio. At other times, video meetings might allow everyone in attendance to be visible through video. Some instructors require video meetings during the term, while others may offer them as a possible way to ask questions or conference about grades. A few popular (and free) video meeting software are listed to the right.

Online chats: A chat is a synchronous instant message discussion involving at least two people. Some courses may have scheduled chats where multiple people can participate; others may use chats for discussions between the instructor and a single student. Usually, a chat will be mostly text-based (though you might be able to attach photos or emojis). As an example: A professor might offer an online chat on Friday afternoons for anyone who wants to talk about the readings for the week. You would log in at the assigned time and be able to type questions and answers and see them replied to right away.

Text messages: Some instructors may provide a way for you to contact them, or to receive class announcements, through text messages. These might require downloading an app, depending on whether they’re using a service or not. In general, text messages are great for quick questions but not for turning in large assignments (unless someone requests this!). Be cautious when sharing your phone number with others, as well, and remember that charges may apply depending on your mobile phone carrier plan.

Social media: From time to time, classes may use social media for communication. The requirements or suggestions for their use should be clearly outlined in the class policies. Your college may have a social media use policy that applies. Before tying your personal social media accounts to your classes, consider whether you want your classmates and instructors to have access to what you’ve posted there. Sometimes, it’s useful to create new accounts for school use, if you think social media will be required for your coursework. Check your individual networks for their policies.

Now that we know where learning happens, what we’ll be doing, and how to ask for help, we’ll next dive into more interesting parts: How to succeed once you land in an online course.