Course description
Ace Your Online Class is a course designed to help people who have never taken an online college class before, or struggled with one in their first go around. The course teaches students how online learning differs from traditional learning, the tools needed for success, the main features of your course, and tips on how to navigate them.
Thirty instructional videos (4-10 minutes each) split into ten sections will prepare and guide learners through the maze that is your school's Learning Management System, identifying the main features most likely to be used, and strategies for best execution. Each video has an accompanying fact sheet that offers a summary of the video, optional resources, and an extra daily challenge for those wishing to take their online mastery to the next level.
The course may be taken at whatever pace works best for you, but it is designed to be consumed by watching one video per day for thirty days. This suggestion is intentional as it mimics the workflow recommended for tackling your online classes. In effect, the hope is that the routine you develop while watching these videos effectively becomes your routine for tackling online coursework.
For new online learners, this course is best taken just prior to the start of your online class (it helps if you can access the class), or as your class is beginning. Students who have struggled in the past, or are currently struggling may seek out certain sections of the course after your class has started, as needed.
The course is also particularly helpful for students with learning disabilities or cognitive issues, such as trouble with attention, concentration and memory.
In the end, you probably invested a great deal of money into college, and are about to invest a great deal of time. Make sure your time and money are well spent by arming yourself not only with a solid overview of how college online classes operate, but the mindset and workflow that you'll need to ace your online class!
Hello everyone and thanks for stopping in to learn more! My name is Derek Malenczak, and I am a faculty member at Rutgers University. I presently work in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation & Counseling Professions as an undergraduate instructor, both in the classroom as well as online teaching. Prior to my academic career, I spent 13 years helping people with mental illness who were discharged from long-term psychiatric hospitalizations, teaching them skills so they might recover and become better integrated into their communities.
I eventually took a special interest in helping college students with mental health issues and goal-setting with more of a career focus, learning a specialized practice called Supported Education, where I tailored my skill-teaching to those needed for college; writing admissions essays, selecting courses, improving study skills, requesting an incomplete, etc.
I helped train the agency I was employed with in Supported Education, and that led to a job with school where I earned my Masters Degree with, doing research on this population. I taught cognitive remediation to college students with mental health issues in order to help them succeed with better grade and remain in school longer.
I now teach the majority of the time, but am still involved in research related to online learning. I also host a podcast called the College Student Success Podcast, which helps college students with mental health issues set and achieve goals for themselves.
I knew my blend of experience in skill teaching, goal setting, Supported Education, Cognitive Remediation, and online instruction was unique, but wasn't exactly sure how to apply it until I started teaching online more regularly. I saw students that I knew from traditional classes to be excellent students, now struggling with how to succeed in online classes. I talked to them. I considered the struggles they identified, and the idea for this course was born. I hope you find it helpful!
aceyouronlineclass@gmail.com