The student has a critical role in defining the
learning outcomes in an online course. The online student should
be willing to contribute to the course by relating his/her
life, work, and educational experiences to the course content.
In this way, each student contributes to the group, making
the learning experience more personalized for himself, yet
at the same time, broadening the scope of the materials for
others. Another important point is that due to the accelerated
nature of the online learning process, the online student must
be highly committed to the course, and "needs to want
to be there, and needs to want the experience." How this
relates to defining learning outcomes is through participation
and interaction on the part of the student. No longer merely
a receiver of information, the student must actively participate
in the course process. In a truly successful online course
where discussion and collaborative learning provide the basis
for content delivery, the students are the main players! The
instructor (now called facilitator) does have a major role
in the course, but that role has changed dramatically from
the on-ground paradigm. The facilitator, facilitates, leads,
prompts, and organizes, but the students are the ones who,
through critical thinking, and effective communication, actually
create the most meaningful input for the course.
