Tag Archives: online courses

National Distance Learning Week

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To mark National Distance Learning Week, we wanted to take the opportunity to share with you 10 things you might not know about the Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online) at Northern Virginia Community College.

This picture was dated 1974 and shows staff getting media ready for some of the first distance learning courses offered through the  Extended Learning Institute! 1974-eli-011.    23,000 NOVA students taken online courses through the NOVA Online each year.

2.    NOVA Online offers more than 500 online courses, so whatever field you’re in and whatever degree requirement you’re working to fill, you can probably find it at NOVA Online!

3.    NOVA Online courses and NOVA Online faculty win national awards every year.

4.    You are not alone when you take a NOVA Online course – you will interact with your instructor and classmates through discussions, group assignments, and more.

5.    NOVA Online staff provide lots of services to support you in your online courses, too, including 24/7 free online tutoring, online librarians, 24/7 technical support, student success coaches, and much more.

6.    NOVA Online offers several start dates each semester, for most of our courses, so just about any time you want to get started with us, we have a new session starting soon!

7.    You can earn more than 40 complete associate’s degrees and certificates entirely through NOVA Online. Check out the complete list on NOVA Online’s website.

8.    Not sure whether an online course is right for you? You can take the Smartermeasure assessment to find out!

9.    NOVA Online offers courses in 16-week, 12-week, and 8-week lengths so you can choose the schedule and course length that best fits your needs.

10.    Most NOVA Online students take classes on campus as well as NOVA Online classes; combining the two can be the perfect way to complete your degree.

Happy Distance Learning Week to our online students at NOVA. If you have any questions, contact the NOVA Online Student Services Team at 703.323.3347 or elisuccess@nvcc.edu or connect with us on social media. We are more than happy to answer your questions, as well as refer you to useful resources and services that will support your online learning experience.

National Distance Learning Week

Posted on by

To mark National Distance Learning Week, we wanted to take the opportunity to share with you 10 things you might not know about the Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online) at Northern Virginia Community College.

Curious what the 1975 course catalog looked like when the Extended Learning Institute offered it’s first course? 1976 Catalog & Schedule of Classes 1

1.    23,000 NOVA students taken online courses through the NOVA Online each year.

2.    NOVA Online offers more than 500 online courses, so whatever field you’re in and whatever degree requirement you’re working to fill, you can probably find it at NOVA Online!

3.    NOVA Online courses and NOVA Online faculty win national awards every year.

4.    You are not alone when you take a NOVA Online course – you will interact with your instructor and classmates through discussions, group assignments, and more.

5.    NOVA Online staff provide lots of services to support you in your online courses, too, including 24/7 free online tutoring, online librarians, 24/7 technical support, student success coaches, and much more.

6.    NOVA Online offers monthly start dates for most of our courses, so just about any time you want to get started with us, we have a new session starting soon!

7.    You can earn more than 40 complete associate’s degrees and certificates entirely through NOVA Online. Check out the complete list on NOVA Online’s website.

8.    Not sure whether an online course is right for you? You can take the Smartermeasure assessment to find out!

9.    NOVA Online offers courses in 16-week, 12-week, and 8-week lengths so you can choose the schedule and course length that best fits your needs.

10.    Most NOVA Online students take classes on campus as well as NOVA Online classes; combining the two can be the perfect way to get to your degree as quickly as possible.

Happy Distance Learning Week to our online students at NOVA. If you have any questions, contact the NOVA Online Student Services Team at 703.323.3347 or elisuccess@nvcc.edu or connect with us on social media. We are more than happy to answer your questions, as well as refer you to useful resources and services that will support your online learning experience.

Student Lingo: Stay Motivated and Disciplined in an Online Course

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The idea of taking an online course with NOVA Online is amazing! The flexibility of not having to travel to campus and working on assignments when it is convenient for you sounds like a dream come true. But how will you keep from procrastinating and falling behind? What tools will you use to help manage your time? How will you feel connected to your classmates and instructor? What you will do when something unexpected occurs?

If you are new to online learning you might be a little anxious about what to anticipate and what some of the challenges might be.  The How to Stay Motivated and Disciplined in an Online Course online workshop from Student Lingo highlights some of the common difficulties that online students experience such as procrastinating, poor time management, feeling disconnected with faculty and staff and managing the unexpected.

By taking a few minutes to view this on demand workshop:

  • You will have a head start on what to anticipate.
  • Know how to navigate those challenging situations before they even happen and then when they do,
  • You will have a plan in place to ensure you stay on track.

As a Success Coach, I tell my students all the time “Knowing is half the battle!” By watching this Student Lingo online workshop you are going to get a sneak peek into the life of an online student. By doing so you are going to know what to expect and be able to better prepare from the very first day of your first online course.

Plan on taking away tools to help:

    • Create a schedule and ideas on how to break up assignments in turn allowing to build in time for unexpected situations.
    • Know how to use the syllabus can be used as a guide to keep you on track with homework, projects and tests.

Develop strategies to connect with your classmates and instructor.

When you register for college courses you are investing your time and money. Invest in your success by watching this short presentation! Take some time afterwards to reflect and then develop some action steps to implement as soon as your online course begins.

  •  You know yourself as a student, what aspect of online learning is going to be the most challenging for you?
  • Think about the resources provided in the presentation and write down three actionable steps you will take during the first week of your online course that are going to help you be successful.

Remember a driving force in your success as an online student is meeting deadlines and holding yourself accountable. Commit to completing your three action items the first week of class! Liked the How to Stay Motivated and Disciplined in an Online Course Workshop? View more on-demand workshops from Student Lingo to help you succeed in your online courses.

-Laura, NOVA Online Student Success Coach

Setting the Pace for an Online Course

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Online courses at NOVA are quite unique, in that, there is no scheduled meeting time for your classes and students set their own schedule for logging in, participating, and studying. Students can log into the course at any time and learn the course material at their own speed from week to week. The vast majority of NOVA’s online classes have weekly assignment due dates and all have a minimum of two proctored exams. In light of this, there is a more pronounced need to establish great time management strategies to ensure your success in the course. See below for tips for pacing yourself through your NOVA Online course:

Follow the course’s outlined schedule. Instructors map out which lessons will be covered from week to week as a guide at the beginning of the semester. Following this schedule will ensure that you cover all material in time for exams. Be sure to stay on schedule with all readings, videos, and other instructional material to avoid falling behind.

Set a schedule for starting and submitting assignments. Assignments are typically posted at the beginning of the semester and due on a weekly basis. To stay on track with all assignments:

-Make a calendar of all of your assignments due dates; construct a paper calendar, use a planner, use your phone, etc.

-Designate certain days of the week for starting assignments, editing assignments, and submitting them.

-Do not wait until the night it is due to start the assignment, if you can help it. Starting assignments early allows for time to fix technology problems, to ask instructors questions about the assignments, and to receive responses to inquiries in a timely manner.

Schedule class time as if you were in a physical class. It is easy to forget about a class when you do not have to come to campus to sit in a classroom. Therefore, setting aside specific “class time” is important. Devote at least 2-3 hours per week for each credit you take; for example, a 3 credit course calls for at least 6 hours a week of studying.

Log into the course frequently. This is the instructor’s way of knowing that you are active in the course. Logging into the course regularly ensures that you do not miss any important instructor announcements, assignment instruction changes, changes in due dates, etc. Being inactive can lead to you being dropped from the course.

For more tips on time management and staying on track in your courses, reach out to our NOVA Online Student Success Coach team at 703-764-5076 or elisuccess@nvcc.edu.