Am I a self-starter?
How do I learn best?
Am I comfortable with technology?
What's my motivation for taking the course?
Can I access the equipment I'll need for:
an Internet course?
a text-based course enhanced with video and/or audio?
a two-way interactive television course?
Am I a self-starter? back to top
The importance of self-motivation depends on the delivery method of the course. Two-way interactive television, for example, offers you regular meeting dates and times with the opportunity to have real-time discussions with your classmates and instructor. That regular contact can keep you going the same way it would in a traditional classroom.
It's different when there are no required class meetings or scheduled contact with your classmates and instructor. You have to be responsible for following the schedule recommended by the instructor. You have to assume more responsibility for your learning (ie. contacting your instructor, reading and reviewing, participating in assignments, etc...)
Think about your past experiences in school. Were you in class every day unless there was a very good reason why you couldn’t be? Did you regularly contribute to discussions and ask questions? Did you connect with the material on a personal or professional level? If so, you probably have the motivation to be a good distance student.
How do I learn best? back to top
Some of us learn best working in a group, some of us learn best working alone. Distance learning is a good choice for people who are good at learning independently. Some of us also have a strong preference for either auditory, visual or hands-on learning.
So what does this mean for distance learners? Two-way interactive television classes have about the same balance of visual to auditory learning as a traditional face-to-face class. Internet and packet courses, however, require you to be a good visual learner because you will do a lot of reading and writing.
Becoming more aware of your learning preferences will help make you a better learner in any format.
Am I comfortable with technology? back to top
And we don't mean just high-end technology. All distance students need to be comfortable calling their instructors on the phone. Students in two-way interactive television classrooms should be comfortable talking into a microphone and seeing themselves on a monitor screen.
Our Internet courses are designed to be user-friendly. Most of them require you to communicate through email and discussion boards, submit assignments electronically, and access sites on the World Wide Web. It may be beneficial to take a few minutes and go through our survey to see if this format is best for you.
What's my motivation for taking the course? back to top
You may really need this course and this may be the only way you can take it. If that's the case, then it might not matter if you aren't known for being a self-starter or if the kids have to program your VCR. If you want to talk with somebody about your options, you can contact your county director, call the advising center at (319) 398-5540 or 1-800-332-2055, Ext. 5540, or you can email the advising office at att@kirkwood.edu..
Can I access the equipment I'll need for an Internet course? back to top
You need easy access, at least three times per week, to a computer terminal with a reasonably fast Internet connection (DSL or High-Speed recommended). Having a computer at home is the most convenient, but a computer at work is a close second. (Employers tend to be very supportive, but you should check before assuming a work computer is available to you for this purpose.) High school students may have access to an Internet-connected computer in a lab or library at school. Kirkwood has Internet-connected computers at all its locations, and other community colleges, libraries, and even some coffee shops are other places to look for Internet access.
Can I access the equipment I'll need for a text-based course enhanced with video and/or audio? back to top
You need to either watch videos, listen to audio tapes, or sometimes both. You can do that at any Kirkwood center. However, if going to a center isn’t convenient, there are other options. A few of the videos are shown on cable t.v. in part of our seven-county service area. With cable service and a VCR, you can tape the courses off the air and watch them at your convenience. Some tapes are also available to purchase. Since this depends on our copyright arrangement with the publisher, availability varies from course to course. Courses that require you to go to a center are designated as 7-county courses.
Can I access the equipment I'll need for a two-way interactive television course? back to top
You need to be physically present at a receive site on a regularly scheduled basis. The receive site is the classroom where your instructor and classmates meet with you electronically. This might be at one of Kirkwood's county centers, at a high school or even at a business or National Guard Armory.
