1.
On Course Self-Assessment: The same Self-Assessments that appear in Chapters 1 and 9 of the
On Course text book are available for your students to take online. Assigning your students to take the Self-Assessments on the Internet offers a number of benefits:
- Results will be accurate and available immediately because the site does the scoring.
- Students can compare their individual scores for the eight On Course strategies with the average scores of all others who have taken the self-assessment.
- Students can e-mail you their results right from the site.
- Students can print their results for inclusion in their journals.
- Students get valuable experience working with the Internet.
- When students take the Self-Assessment in your college or university computer lab, they're more likely to use the lab later for other purposes.
If you choose to have students discuss their scores (either in class or in a conference with you), a valuable set of questions to ask them is, "So, what do you think of each of your scores? Do they seem accurate? If accurate, why? If inaccurate, how do you account for the inaccuracy? What if any scores would you like to change this semester? What's your plan to bring about the change?"
2.
Web Links: These links take your students to some of the many sites on the Internet that provide additional information about the eight critical success strategies presented in
On Course. Consider asking students to write an evaluation of one or more of these sites. Or ask them to find additional sites for some or all of the
On Course strategies.
3.
Additional Success Strategies: Author Skip Downing has posted four additional essays and related journal prompts that will add to your students' tool box of success strategies. Ask your students to read and write about one or more of these additional topics: "Learning from Mistakes," "Choosing the Content of Your Consciousness," "Resolving Incompletions," and "Developing Involved Detachment."
4.
Technology Exercises: Becoming proficient with technology is a tremendously valuable success skill for 21st Century students to master. Assign these
On Course Technology Exercises in order to introduce students to some of the many ways they can use technology to gather, analyze, and present information.
5.
Discussion Group: Encourage your students to contribute to the
On Course Discussion Group where they can exchange ideas with fellow students across the United States and Canada. This activity is a great way to foster interdependence, cross-cultural understanding, and a broader world view. Some instructors require their students to send a minimum number of meaningful messages to the Discussion Group, to print their messages (and responses where appropriate), and turn them in for credit or points toward their final grade.
6.
Practice Tests: These tests are designed to give your students helpful feedback on their answers. Assigning students to take the
On Course practice tests online offers them a number of benefits. By taking these tests, students will…
- Create deeper and longer lasting learning of the On Course strategies.
- Learn test-taking skills.
- Become more familiar with technology and the Internet.
Consider asking students to create their own test questions for the assignments they read in On Course.
6.
Affirmation Certificate: Here students can create a colorful certificate with their own personal affirmation.
7.
Self-Management Tools: Students can print copies of the following self-management tools: Monthly Calendar, Next-Actions List, Tracking Form, and 32-Day Commitment.
8.
Additional Articles and Exercises: Here you will find an archive of articles and exercises by various authors. Each of these resources has the purpose of helping students become more successful in college and in life. You can assign students to choose, read, and report on one of these resources. At your discretion, students' reports can be either written or presented orally to the class.
