Week 1: Strategies for Successful Online Learning
What does it mean to be successful as an online student? What skills, knowledge, or experiences might you possess to ensure your success in your academic program? What does it mean to be a Walden University student?
It may come as no surprise that pursuing doctoral education is a significant milestone in any student’s academic journey. Whether you have completed an online degree or participated in some coursework online, the online learning environment may present unique challenges for ensuring your success and accountability in meeting and exceeding degree requirements. Throughout your academic journey, you will be presented with support resources, strategies, and opportunities to refine your previous skills and knowledge that can be applied for your academic success in your degree program.
This week, you will examine support resources and strategies for ensuring your success as an online student at Walden University. You will also review your DNP program requirements, including field experience and DNP doctoral project components to help you prepare in planning for future coursework and goal setting.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Evaluate strategies for self-empowerment in academic and professional settings
- Analyze strategies to address strengths and areas of improvement in academic and professional settings
Learning Resources
Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)
Walden University. (n.d.). Doctor of nursing practice.
Walden University. (n.d.). Field experience: College of nursing. Field Experience. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/fieldexperience/son
Walden University. (n.d.). Plagiarism prevention resource kit. Writing Center. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/plagiarism
Walden University. (n.d.). Scholarly voice: Overview. Writing Center. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice
Walden University. (n.d.). Subject research: Nursing. Walden Library. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/subject/nursing
Walden University. (n.d.). Using evidence: Synthesis. Writing Center. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/synthesis
Walden University. (2020). Writing at the graduate level. Writing Center. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarly#s-lg-box-2804295
Westlake, C. (2012). Practical tips for literature synthesis. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 26(5), 244–249. https://doi.org/10.1097/NUR.0b013e318263d766
Document: DNP Project Process Guide (Word document)
Required Media (click to expand/reduce)
Review the following Media Resources available from the Walden Library:
Walden University. (n.d.). Library webinar archives: Nursing. Walden Library. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/webinararchives/nursing
Blog: Learning Online
- Have you ever read an online blog? If so, what was the aim of the blog? What did you like or did not like about the blog?
In this course, you will engage in a series of Blog Assignments with your colleagues. Blogs help to facilitate a meaningful and somewhat informal classroom environment that fosters dialogue, interaction, and the dissemination of ideas in a functional platform (Kuo et al. 2017). Blogs also serve as way to promote a community and collaborate learning approach through the sharing of ideas.
Although they may function like a Discussion Board, the aim is to be more open-ended in nature and somewhat informal in sharing your perspectives and thoughts on a given prompt or idea.
For this first Blog Assignment, reflect on your experiences, either academically or professionally, in which you have employed a given strategy to allow for success that may transfer successfully toward learning online. Think about how this strategy may help to inform your overall approach toward completing an online doctorate degree.
Reference: Kuo, Y.-C., Belland, B. R., & Kuo, Y.-T. (2017). Learning through blogging: Students’ perspectives in collaborative blog-enhanced learning communities. Educational Technology & Society, 20(2), 37–50.
To prepare:
- Review the strategies and tips in the documents linked in this week’s Learning Resources, such as Plagiarism Prevention Resource Kit and Scholarly Voice: Overview, and those presented in “Writing at the Graduate Level.”
- Review the Walden University Catalog, Field Experience: College of Nursing, and Programs: DNP Doctoral Project resources to review your program of study and requirements for the completion of the DNP.
- Reflect on strategies you might use to ensure success in your program of study and for completion of your DNP degree requirements. For example, consider time management, organization, prioritization, and any other strategies that might be of considerable use in an academic or professional capacity.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a brief description of at least one strategy you have used in the past (academically or professionally) that was advantageous in empowering you in terms of one or more of the following skill sets: planning, time management, studying, and effective technology use. Then identify a strategy that you have not yet tried and explain how this strategy may be beneficial, given your strengths and any potential areas of improvement. Be specific and provide examples.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
By Day 6 of Week 1
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days by suggesting at least one additional strategy to your colleague not yet selected and explain how and/or why you think it will contribute to their success as an online doctoral student.
