By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
If you're a military eLearner, are you any different than other eLearners? Are there any special steps you should take or things you should do to prepare yourself? Are the classes you take any different than others? Are you treated differently than other students by colleges and universities?
You realize that you do have educational benefits, and you're taking advantage of them. However, certain questions may remain.
Special programs for military eLearners: If you're in the military and you're taking courses online, chances are you're participating in a program that has been designed for you, which will easily accommodate your Tuition Assistance (TA) benefits. Some programs, such as eArmyU, even provide your books to you. The colleges are very eager to work with the military and have signed contracts that assure that the colleges will follow guidelines set by the various branches of the military.
Procedures and portals: Being a military eLearner means that you'll need to go through a few more steps in order to register in a course. It also means that you'll need to find out what the cut-off dates are, and to do things early, just in case you encounter any last-minute impediments or requirements. You will need to familiarize yourself with the procedures for applying for tuition assistance, signing up for classes, and checking your progress and grades. Most colleges have individuals dedicated to the military's programs and are eager to help you work through some of the confusing issues so that the military partnerships really work.
Courses for military eLearners: If you're in the military, and you've signed up for a college course through one of the many colleges that have agreements with different branches of the military, you've probably wondered if you're getting the same course as everyone else in the university. Does the quality suffer? Over the years, accrediting bodies have asked the same question, and they have looked very closely at syllabi, class meeting times, professor credentials, and assessments to make sure that the courses offered to military students are exactly the same as others. Many colleges actually try to blend the course registrations so that there is a mix of military and non-military students. Others, however, can't really do so, because the military terms do not correspond with the college's academic terms. Colleges that do not have exactly the same calendar years or academic calendars as the military often create separate sections for military eLearners. This is a very good thing, and results in enhanced productivity and clarity. In many ways, this is a good thing because the instructor becomes sensitive to the perspective, viewpoints and pressures of military eLearners.
Deployment, Temporary Duty, and other challenges: Regular eLearners tend to be busy people, and many take courses precisely because they have erratic work schedules or have to travel frequently. However, their schedules are mild compared with what military eLearners often contend with. It's not unusual to have eLearners in combat situations. For example, students may be in Iraq in Army convoys, or they may be flying gunships in Afghanistan. They may even be stationed in Guantanamo Bay, or be on a submarine, or on a Coast Guard cutter. In all cases, it's important for you to remember what you're really facing when you take an online class. It is not just the course itself you need to worry about. You'll need to be careful to take a look at your deployment or temporary duty schedule in order to see if you'll be able to keep up with assignments, or if you'll be able to take the assessments as required.
Access to courses while in the field: If you're flying a gunship in the Anbar Province of Iraq or conducting field operations in Afghanistan, chances are, you will not have access to an Internet connection every day. Be sure to keep that in mind and develop a strategy for saving your instructional materials on your hard drive or on your flash drive so that you can have access to your course material, even if there is no connectivity.
Take advantage of your downtime to take notes on your readings, and to make sure that you comprehend and remember the course content. Practice the tests and assessments, and look at samples. When you do have an hour or two on the "morale" computers, be ready to take full advantage of the situation. Send your papers and projects to your professor, post in the discussion board, and download additional readings or material you're supposed to review. If you're supposed to do Internet research or a "web quest," be sure to do so and have your strategy mapped out ahead of time.
Grades and reports to avoid penalties: Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind if you're a military eLearner is that your instructor and your institution have no flexibility at all in terms of deadlines for grades and grade reports. They have to turn in grades before the deadline. If they do not, they pay penalties and fines. Thus, as an eLearner, you should keep that in mind and follow procedures carefully. Also, keep in mind that in many military educational programs, if you do not receive a passing grade for the course, you will be billed for tuition and will have to pay for it out of your own pocket. So, be sure to meet deadlines, and if possible, turn in work early.
Time management: Breaking down your assignments into manageable tasks is very important. Goal-setting, and deadlines will help you develop effective self-regulation skills. These will serve you well in your on-line courses and in the world at large.
Interaction with the instructor: Instructors who teach military eLearners have a great deal of compassion for the unique conditions under which military professionals are having to operate and to take courses. They are very flexible, patient, and encouraging. There are a few lines you should never cross, though.
- Never turn in plagiarized material, no matter how stressed you've been or how little time you've had to work on the course paper.
- Do not ask for an extension for the course or for an "Incomplete" if you have not turned in any work, and/or if it is close to the last day of class. The professor does not set the deadlines and has no flexibility. It is better to ask as far in advance as possible.
Better Education Opportunities
The military is currently expanding its programs to offer online courses and support for military personnel who would like to take online courses, or courses through mobile devices or CD-ROM. The overall vision of the military is to provide as many opportunities as possible to maintain a flexible, intelligent, and highly trained force of professionals.
Listen to the companion podcast at:
http://community.eLearners.com/blogs/inside_elearning/attachment/3937.ashx - 4.09 MB
Read previous posts by Dr. Susan Smith Nash about eLearning and the military:
'Military eLearners in Challenging Times'
If you are a miliary eLearner, read more about online education and the military:
Active Duty Tuition Assistance
Military Online Education