Friday, March 27, 2020

"Help, I'm in my first online class and I don't know what to do!"


There are basically two approaches to online courses, and you will need to determine how your professors plan to proceed. 


Synchronous courses have an element – maybe a weekly video lecture, maybe a group video or chat (messenger) discussion – where you have to log in to participate at a certain time for a certain amount of time.

Asynchronous courses DO NOT require that you ‘show up’ at a certain time.

NOTE that both kinds of courses will have deadlines of some sort. For example, in my own classes this Spring 2020 semester, all course sections are asynchronous so students don’t have to ‘show up’ at any given times but there ARE deadlines for all course work that they will be expected to meet week-to-week. (When they do their work WITHIN a week is up to them.)

"Online class" does not mean "anything goes."

If you have had to transition to "all online" due to the COVID-19 pandemic, your professors should have already let you know how they are going to proceed, either by releasing a formal updated syllabus or calendar, or perhaps letting you know by email or via an announcement on Blackboard (or whatever learning system your university uses). If you have any confusion or have not heard from a professor, don’t be shy about contacting them first!

For some tips on succeeding in online classes from an actual (current) student, I recommend this video:


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Learning Center – online tutoring ongoing here

Writing Center – online synchronous tutoring AND asynchronous feedback available here

Counseling Center – don't get overwhelmed!! Online counseling sessions available; more info here

Student Health Services – open in both EDN and BRW 8a to 5p; 24 Hour Nurse Advise Line at (855) 810-4457

U Central – Zoom appointments available for students with Financial Aid and other U Central-aligned departments – email U Central or call (888) 882-4026

Remember, U Central can assist you with questions/problems related to:

  • Financial Aid
  • Registration/student records
  • Bursar (money owed to UTRGV)
  • Academic advising

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Welcome to Dr. Manuel Saldivar's Ask Me Anything



I'm Dr. Manuel Saldivar. I'm a psychologist and a university lecturer, and an expert in human cognition, which means I study how people think, learn, and remember.

I have started this blog to allow anyone interested in learning how to apply scientifically valid learning techniques to their studies, especially now (March 2020) that many students have had to transition to online learning, often with very little preparation.

Ask me anything! You can post anonymously, or not, as you wish. (All comments will be moderated by me before they are published on the blog.)

All opinions expressed here are my own and do not represent any other party, especially my employer.

"Help, I'm in my first online class and I don't know what to do!"

There are basically two approaches to online courses, and you will need to determine how your professors plan to proceed.  Synchronou...