Online education attracts a variety of students, from the introverts who think that it will mean less interaction with other students to those who think online education is easier.

Many new online students wonder how important participation is. The internet seems faceless, and it seems like it would be all too easy to avoid attracting attention in an online class. Nothing could be further from the truth, however!

Participation is an integral part of online classes. Just showing up isn’t good enough; learning online requires the active participation and thoughtful comments of everyone in the class.

In person, judgments often occur when students speak up, and non-verbal reactions such as body language and eye-rolls can be crushing to a student’s confidence. Online, the tone must be written into words, and the teacher can keep an eye on all interactions more easily.

It’s important to remember that part of being an active participant is asking for help when you need it. In the self-directed learning environment of online education, you can research questions and figure out answers yourself, or ask classmates for help. Often, your classmates will be able to help you get a better grip on what’s going on at the same time as strengthening their own understanding of the material in a mutually beneficial exchange. If you still can’t get a question answered to your satisfaction, ask your instructor for help and he or she should be able to provide it. If you don’t participate and ask for help, people won’t know that you’re having trouble!

Last but not least, teachers often monitor students’ participation. They have access to records showing which students participated in group work, class-wide chat sessions, and regular classes. Your grades might be affected if you don’t speak up!

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