1 | P a g e

1.0 : Introduction


Nowadays we can see the increased of importance of the information and communication
technology( ICT). Lots of transaction can be done online such as buying and selling activities
and so on. In education, we can see that people not only been able to search information
online but we can now study online to further our study. So with this transformation we can
earn benefits in online learning.

Even it gives benefits to us, but in order to be a successful learner in an online learning
environment, a students need to have his or her positives attributes. Distance learners must
have a diversity of traits in order to find success in online courses. Unique characteristics are
possessed by online learners. Distance education is addressed by all ages. Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright & Zvack recognize accurate educational setting, prior knowledge, and
learning styles as indicators of successful distance learners (2009).

The learners biggest worry when starting an online courses is generally will I understand
what I am suppose to do and how to do it. Actually, the idea of online learning is to give
the learner all the tools to complete the tasks, but also to guide the learner into the path which
will facilitate a positive learning experience. Of course as the learner you will need to
participate in the learning experience.

In reality, online courses require just as much, if not more, time and energy as traditional
classroom courses. It also requires specific computer skills and learning strategies in order to
succeed.








2 | P a g e


2.0 Attributes and characteristic of the online learner

2.1. Persistence

Persistence is perhaps the biggest key to success in online learning. Students who succeed are
those who are willing to tolerate technical problems. The student must seek help when
needed. This is because the student will be able to understand any topic of courses better
when someone else can help to explains on the topic that he or she may encounter.
As we know the online distance learner may not being able to meet its tutors or lecturer face
to face, so they need to work daily on every class. and persist through all of the challenges he
or she may encounter. The students must set up a manageable study schedule for himself and
stick to it. Students who succeed are those who log in and make progress every day.

2.2. Effective time-management skill
In order to be successful in the online learning environment, student must be able to manage
their own time well. As we have known, the online learning environment are not being taught
in the real time. There are no set time for classes. So as a student, time management is very
important.
Due to the no set of time, this is a flexibility that a student will gain through online learning.
Even so, for the student who is unable to stick to a routine study schedule or is unable to
complete assignment without daily remainder for the tutors or lectures, it will turned out to
be their disadvantages.
As a students, one should learned how to manage oneself time as this effective time-
management skills just do not happen out of a sudden. Once the students learned this skills,
then it will surely be benefited to the student throughout his life.


3 | P a g e

2.3. Effective and Appropriate Communication Skills

Talk is something we do every day. And our life is literally shaped by it. Many of the
decisions we make are decided by talking. But in the online learning, we talk less. We are
more using a new technology to communicate with others, especially our tutors and lecturers.

Communication skills are vital in online learning because students must seek help when they
need it. Lecturers are willing to help students, but they are unable to pick up on non-verbal
cues, such as a look of confusion on a student's face.
Distance learning is done in the course of group interaction, instructional designers will be
required to put forth an enormous attempt to integrate the technologies to meet the needs of
distance learners and foster collaboration and interaction among these learners. (Chaney, J.,
Chaney, E. Stellefson, and Eddy, 2008).

Sometime when we studying online with foreign universities, the language make its rather
difficult for us to communicate. Sometime miscommunication may occurs. For example, if a
student that do not mastering a language well such as English, asked questions to his tutors,
the tutor might interpreted differently and will give the wrong answer to the students
questions. So as a student, one should mastering a language first in order to do an online
distance learner.
Moreover, as a students, the must know what are the tools of communication that being made
available for the students to communicates with the lecturers online. There are many tools
such as phone, e-mail and text messaging.
2.4.Self- Motivated

To be successful online students, the student must know the main reason he or she want to
further their studies. They must know what they want and expected from the courses that they
take. One and foremost reason might be is that they want to succeed.

4 | P a g e

In online learning, the student must be independence. He or she must have the internal
motivation inside of them and know what they want to achieve in future. The students also
must have responsibility toward himself, his family and also his studies. The student must
also determined in doing and completing his studies too.

Distance learning requires learners to be self-motivated because they are affected by other
responsibilities, have no one to provide encouragement , distractions, and lack of guidance.


2.5. Basic Technical Skills
For an online student, they must possess basic technical skills in order to succeed in
completing his course or with better grade. As an online student, he or she must know how to
create new document and use a word processing program. This is very crucial for the students
in doing their assignment that needed to be done using this program.

As an online student too, they must know how to navigate the internet. This is because,
nowadays, there is lots of information in the internet. The student can use this information to
do assignment and do some research for their studies.

Download a software is one of the few important skill that an attributes that an online student
must know. By downloading software, the student may be able to do his or her work well in
order to complete an assignment. For example, downloading Winzip software; it is used to
unzip files.

2.6 A Good Study Environment
Another critical component of academic success is a good study environment. Wherever a
student wants to attend to the online classes, he or she must be at a place where the condition
is very conducive for study.
It is recommended that the student be studying in a peace and quiet places. This will enable
the student to focus and give full concentration on the things that he or she is being taught.
Then, the student should try to avoid games on the computer as it will be able tempted to try
or play the games.
5 | P a g e

Whenever you are still an attending and online classes, turn off your handphone too. It will
also can distract your concentration on your studies too. When a student surf the internet to
look for information, a student must be focus as the internet can make you lose track of time
as you wonder from site to site. The students must have good sets of lighting and comfortable
seating when studying.



























6 | P a g e

3.0 Suggestion of the strategies that can be adopted by the learners to be
successful in an online learning environment.

3.1 Introduction
In the chapter 2, we has been discuss about the characteristic or attributes of the online
learner in order to be successful. Now, in this chapter we will discussed more on the above
matters on its strategies that can be adopted by the learners to be successful in an online
learning environment.
3.1: Persistence

An online students must possess this attributes. As per discussed above it is a very crucial
traits that a students should have. When the students have problem in their studies, they must
seek helps from the lecturers. He must never stops to ask questions until he understand about
the things that he is having problem with.

It is being suggested that a student must setting up his own manageable study schedule. He
must follow the schedule to excel in his studies. As an online students, one should log in
everyday. This is because , there might be something new that the lecturer gives online.
Never try to lose focus and be persist on the studies that ones had starts.

3.2 Time Management

In learning online, I believed this is very important areas. This is because one will have to
divides time between work, family and studies.

When you are studying, there will be surely many assignment for each subjects that you enrol
for each semester. You may need to develop long-term plan so that you can complete your
assignment in stipulated time given. Make sure that the assignment to be complete a week
before it is due.

It is recommended that the students must make a daily To Do list. By having this checklist,
a student will know what he should do daily. It takes time to develop good habits, but the
students will gain satisfaction from being well-organized and accomplishing their task.
7 | P a g e


3.3 Effective and Appropriate Communication Skills

Communication skills are vital in online learning because students must seek help when they
need it. Teachers are willing to help students, but they are unable to pick up on non-verbal
cues, such as a look of confusion on a student's face. There are few suggestion that i would
like to recommend to the online students.
First of all, I would like the students to use the tool provided by the universities to
communicate with your lecturer. As we know, many online universities and program
provided several ways for students to communicate with lecturer and tutors. These might
include e-mail, discussion groups, chat room during office hours, handphone and even text
messaging. For example, the students in Open University will communicate with their online
tutors by using e-mail and forum. This is very crucial as all of the tutors and lecturer want all
of his student to excel and that is why they will answer your questions. Yes, sometime we
might feel awkward to talk with the tutors or lecturer like this, but its fine with the lecturer.
If your tutors or lecturer have handphone or chat room during office hours, do not be shy to
use those tool to talk with your lecturer. It is very much more effective to communicate with
the directly.
Finally, as an online student, you should use appropriate style and language for school. When
communicating with tutors and lecturer, the student should write in full, grammatically
correct sentences and with respectful tone. Many students are used to a very informal style of
writing in chat rooms, blogs, text messages, and so forth. Sometime, because of the distance,
it is tempting for some students to say things out of anger or frustration that they would never
say to a tutors or lecturer in person. Online tutors and lecturer are professionals. Treat them
with respect and courtesy.

3.4 : Self Motivated
In online studies, the student must be very determined and have self-motivated so that they
can succeed in their studies. So, before start joining this program, one should know what is
his reason by joining this program. The student has their own reason. For example, he or she
may want a greater level of personal satisfaction with his future career. Someone will also be
8 | P a g e

more motivated in pursue / further his studies may be due to the personal pride in his own
accomplishment, or maybe seeking a wider range of opportunities available to him so that he
or she will gain higher education level or a higher income. All of this motivation must be
used by the student while attending to the online studies.
3.5: Basic Skill
Before the students enrol to pursue studies using online learning, they should have mastering
or know the basic knowledge of skills related to computer. Even there are an orientation
given to the new students, basically it will emphasized more on the usage of communication
tools and DO NOT cover basic.
So it is suggested students that studies online can find an online tutorial regarding the basic of
computer usage that can be available at the Library network or from public websites like
Youtube.com. The students can learn more on the basic skills through the video that is being
posted on the website.
3.6 A Good Study Environment

In the chapter 2, we have discussed about the good study environment. To study, we may
need some peace and quiet environment. It is suggest that the students should have a room for
him to study especially in his house or go to the library. They need the quiet place because it
will hinder him to get distractions from things like television, family or roommates.

As we have known, an online learner will need to use a computer as his or her main medium
of communication and learning. So, it is suggested that the computer should be games free or
without any games being installed inside the computer system. If the computer has games in
it, then the students should consider of uninstalling it or keep the games on the different
computer in the house to avoid temptation. The student also must set up good lighting and
comfortable seating for themselves when the want to attend online classes. Lighting in the
room should be at least as bright as the computer screen to avoid eye strain.


9 | P a g e

4.0 Conclusion:
Based on the discussion above , we had seen that being an online distance learner require
more scarifies in order to be successful. Lots of new things needed to be done. The students
need to mastering the time management skills as it will help the student to studies within the
schedule. It may helps the students to avoid or obstruct him from other commitment.
All of the attributes may help the student to be more successful if he can practices it while
taking this program. By enrol to this program, the student will be able to know the necessities
that he need to achieved more successful life ahead in the future.
So, before we enrol for the online distance learning, we must know whether we have all of
the attribute to be success in this online learning. If not, we must learn at least the basic skills
like a word processing skills or typing skills.


















10 | P a g e

5.0 References:

Dabbagh, N. (2007). The online learner: Characteristics and pedagogical
implications.Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education [Online
serial], 7(3). Available: http://www.citejournal.org/vol7/iss3/general/article1.cfm

Dato Dr Zaiton Osman et al.(2010) OUMH Learning Skills for Open Distance Learners (12
th

Printing). Selangor:Meteor Doc Sdn. Bhd.

Song, L.,Singleton E. S., Hill, J.R & Koh, M.H (2004).Improving oline learning: Student
perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics.The Internet and Higher Education.
Retrieved October 18, 2011 from http://www.singleton_ihesongL.pdf

Roberts, T. S., & McInnerney, J. M. (2007). Seven Problems of Online Group Learning and
Their Solutions). Educational Technology & Society, 10 (4), 257-268. Retrieved October 19,
2011 from http://www.ifets.infojurnals/10-4/22.pdf

Izzati (2011) 3 Responses for "Pembelajaran Maya/Online" Retrieved November 20, 2011 from
http://www.mudahbelajar.com/?p=434