Strategies for
Successful Distance
Learning in TwoYear Colleges
Thomas J. Tobin
Westmoreland County
Community College
Youngwood, PA
Online English classes in twoyear colleges attract more non-
traditional students than do
classroom-based courses.
• Adult learners
• Working full-time
• Family responsibilities
• Off-hour scheduling
• Five years + out of high school
• Self-motivated learners
• Few have recent class experience
Strategies for effective online classes
with non-traditional learners:
• Use “preview” units
• Self-graded overview/review exercises
• Student-constructed tests
• Problem-solving approach
• Conceptual chunking
• Peer editing
• Read-report-ask
• Have “viewer mail”
Taking advantage of the online medium:
• Assign web readings.
• Online background research.
• Allow “double-dipping” for other courses.
• Provide templates for good performance.
• Ask for student copyright permission to their work.
• Suggest “real world” outlets for student writing.
• Bring in guest lecturers and content experts.
Bells and whistles versus content and accessibility:
Learn more:
DAPX 0900-W1
Teaching Non-traditional
Students in the Online
English Classroom
[email protected]