Online Educational Classes – Six Levels of Support

Taking classes online can be a very daunting task for some. Online students must be motivated, organized, and ready to spend a great deal of time in front of a computer. Many students feel overwhelmed at first, but after their first class or two they do just fine. Support is one thing that all online degree programs offer. There are many different types of support a student can receive. In this article we are going to talk about the top six levels of support while taking online classes.

First and foremost students need access to their professors. Most of the time the professor or graduate assistant will be in the classroom at least five days a week. When they are in the classroom they are active within the discussion board forum and answering emails. Many professors are also available for phone or Skype appointments.

Another form of support is from other students in the classroom. They are able to email and answer each other’s questions on a daily basis. Many students ask other students even before asking the professor. Typically there are about 15-20 students in the course so they can be a very valuable resource for other students.

Many schools offer complete access to their online library. With access to the library students can access journals, books, and case studies. This can be a very valuable resource when students are completing assignments and writing research papers.

One of the most frequently used levels of support is the online writing center. Students can submit their paper to a team of experts to have it critiqued before turning it into the professor. Many students will complete their assignments early to make sure they have ample time to submit their work to the writing center. They can help with grammar, grammatical errors, and also offer advice on paragraph structure.

The help desk is usually called upon at least once in an online course. Whether you forget your username or password or simply cannot access the site the help desk is a very valuable resource to an online student. The help desk is usually available 24/7 and helps with any kind of technical support.

Finally, the academic advisor helps the student throughout the program. They will help with scheduling classes, registration, and general questions while students are in the program. They are a very valuable resource and typically available even when the professor is not.