Smarter Measure

Online courses are a great option for students who might have difficulty attending classes on campus, or who enjoy alternative learning environments.  However, some students take online courses thinking they will be easier or allow them to turn in work whenever they like.  Those misconceptions often cause students to not do well or drop out of online courses.  So, I'd like you to be very prepared for success in this course, regardless of how many online courses you've already taken.

I have created this required activity in which you will analyze your preparedness for this course.  It will also help me to know you and to help you with strategies for success.  

Choose the Part A option below that best fits your situation.  Everyone will do Part B.  Remember, this is required and is designed to help you succeed in this course:

Part A.  Assessment of Online Course Skills.  

Choose one option. 

Option 1.  If this is your first online course OR you've not earned at least a 3.0 in your most recent online course:

1. Complete the Smarter Measure analysis. It has a number of sections and it takes about an hour to complete.  You can stop at the end of any section and save your work and then return when you can.  It will help you to analyze your strengths and areas requiring improvement in order to succeed in an online course.  Once you have completed the full process, you will receive a copy of your results in your email.  This is not a test.  I will not see your results. If you done this analysis before, you can use those earlier results. Click here to begin the Smarter Measure analysis. 
2. Review the results.  
3. Please send me via email a copy of the notification from SmarterMeasure that you have completed the survey or a message from our Shoreline Coaches confirming your completion.  Please DO NOT send me your results - these are private and for your use only.  
4. Go to Part B below.

Option 2.  If you have earned at least a 3.0 in your most recent fully online course,

1. Consider your most recent fully online course.  
2. Look at the list of skills for successful online learning.  [Skills are the six "buttons" at bottom of that page.]
3. Think about what skills helped you to succeed and what skills you could improve.  Investigate strategies (click on the applicable button) for improvement.
4. Go to Part B below.

Part B. Analysis of Skills. 

With information you've obtained from Part A, I'd like you to write a short paragraph that describes the following:

• List which activity you completed for Part A.  If you took did Option 1: Smarter Measure survey, please include a copy (screenshot is ok) of the email confirming your completion of the survey.  I DO NOT want to see your results.  These are for your use only.
• The one strength that will help you the most to succeed in this course and how it will help you.
• The necessary skill where you have the most concerns and how you intend to use available resources to improve that area so you can be successful.
• You're welcome to ask me questions or request specific help in this paragraph, as well.  We have student success coaches that I can refer you to for additional help, if you're very concerned about getting started in this course.  We also have free face-to-face tutoring Links to an external site. on campus or virtual tutoring at eTutoring Links to an external site..

To write the summary paragraph, click "Submit Assignment" box in the upper right.  Then you'll be provided with a text box in which to write your paragraph and to paste or upload your confirmation email as appropriate.  When finished, click "Submit Assignment again.

(Assignment Adapted from Judy Penn, Shoreline CC, Nov 2016)

Thanks,

Amy