Is online learning right for my students?

Penn students come to the university with a variety of experiences and opinions. First-time online students may have fear and reservations about venturing into this new environment. For some students, the online option offers exceptional flexibility and convenience. But just as teaching online requires new and different skills, online learning may not be right for every student. Resources are available to help students determine if online learning is a good choice for them. See Student Readiness Checklist.

The Online Learning website also offers a video demonstration of the platform to introduce students to this environment. Additional screencasts and tutorials exist to prepare students for their online classes. In instances where students want to earn credit over the summer term to fulfill degree requirements, Online Learning is a terrific choice no matter where students spend the summer. The majority of students enrolled in Nursing online courses are Penn undergraduates. Students are asked for their feedback every semester, and feedback has been positive with high satisfaction rates.

Will my online students have access to services?

Students enrolled in online courses have access to daily technical support, including live support within AdobeConnect sessions. Online seminars and resources are also available to orient students to the platform and the live classroom environments. Online students in Nursing have unlimited access to the campus bookstore and library, which offers online databases for research. Efforts are underway to ensure that students in an online class have access to all of the same services as traditional students. Services such as Advising, Tutoring, the Writing Center, and Disabilities Services are all expected to be available for participants in online courses.

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