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To start with, make sure you have a good command of basic Internet navigation skills. You'll need to know how to open an Internet browser, how to maximize and minimize the browser window, and how to use the forward and back buttons to move back and forth between Web pages. If you need help with these basic concepts, both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox have exhaustive Help files that can answer your questions about navigating the Net.
Next, test your understanding of how files are managed on your computer. Make sure you can use Windows Explorer to find folders and files on your computer's hard drive. You'll also need to be confident about creating, copying, deleting and saving files on your PC or Mac. To brush up on your skills, select "Help" from the Windows Explorer menu bar and then search for information about "files".
Make sure you know how to Copy and Paste. A surprising number of computer users still haven't mastered these basic Clipboard functions. This skill set includes the ability to left click and drag to highlight information in a document, to copy that information to the clipboard, and then to paste that information from the clipboard into a new document or spreadsheet. If you don't feel confident about copy-and-paste, search for a free copy-and-paste tutorial on any of the major search engines.
Sending and receiving email is another key skill you'll want to be confident about. Because you're likely to receive course materials and other documentation by email, you'll need to know how to handle email attachments and how to open them or save them on your computer. Your email program will have a section in its Help file that can answer any questions you have about email and how to handle email attachments.
Last but not least, you won't be able to complete a single online class without a basic understanding of some kind of word processing software. Microsoft Word is considered the standard here and most new computers come with Word already installed. Fortunately, there's a free alternative for those of you that don't have Word installed on their PCs. Try OpenOffice, a free, easy-to-use software suite available at openoffice.org that comes with a robust word processor called OpenOffice Writer. It offers all the functionality of Word, including the ability to open and create files in Microsoft Word format.
Even if all of your online learning skills have been carefully honed, don't forget to check your computer system to make sure it can participate in the online learning experience. Most online universities, for example, recommend users have a computer equipped with Windows XP or MAC OS 9 (or higher) as their operating system. Also, almost all online universities recommend Internet Explorer or Firefox, adding they've found that AOL users often cannot properly access online courses. Because many online courses involve streaming video presentations, it's best to have a monitor resolution of at least 800 x 600 and a fast DSL or cable modem connection. Finally, say leading online institutions, you'll want to enable java script and cookies to optimize the learning experience.
Category: Reference and EducationAre You Ready for Distance Learning? was written by:Author:Matthew PaoliniAdded: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:38:46 -0500 This Article Has Been Read 568 times View all Matthew Paolini's articlesAbout the Author: Follow the opt-in process described above, from squeeze page to pre-sell page to sales page, by visiting http://acs.homebiz2000.com. Don't forget to opt-in to see how the autoresponder series is used to refer subscribers back to the pre-sell page over and over. Of course, there's a revealing - and valuable - free gift at the end of the series for all those who subscribe at http://acs.homebiz2000.com |
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