What Makes a Successful Online Student? 

One of the biggest misunderstandings of online education is that it is easier than attending school in-person. This is false. Online learning does not reduce the amount of work or effort required for the student to be successful. Students need to be aware of this and posess certain skills to be successful in school. The profile of a successful student includes characteristics such as self-motivation and effective communication as shown in the list below (permitted for non-commercial use by Michigan Virtual University).

Ask yourself if your student possesses these skills, and if not, can they develop them to become a successful online student. 

Self-Motivation

Does your student have a strong desire to learn skills, acquire knowledge and fulfill assignments in online courses because of an educational goal? Can she/he maintain focus on that goal?

Effective Communication

Can your student ask for help, make contact with the instructor online, and describe any problems she/he has with learning materials using email, texting, and/or the telephone?

Good Time Management

Can your student create and maintain a study schedule throughout the semester without face-to-face interaction with a teacher?

Independent Study Habits

Can your student study and complete assignments without direct supervision and maintain the self-discipline to stick to a schedule?

Academic Readiness

Does your student have the basic reading, writing, math and computer literacy skills to succeed in the class?

Technologically Prepared

Does your student know how to open, create and/or save a document through Google Drive; use various technology tools (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, grammar checker, calculator); and identify various file formats (e.g., doc, xls, pdf, jpg)?

If you feel your student (or you) have these skills, then you are ready to be a Wickenburg Virtual Academy Student!