Using the FutureU™ Student Web Book: Make the Most of Learning Online* as a text, a skilled facilitator introduces any group of 10 to 20 participants to the fundamentals of learning online. In the process, participants come to know what it’s like to work as a learning team—an excellent way to encourage group activities in later, content-based programs.

Volume 1: Getting Started with Online Learning.

Chapter 1: Learning on the Internet

• Understand the many advantages of learning online
• Understand the many challenges as well
• Practice emailing an instructor and entering an online classroom discussion

Chapter 2: The Electronic Classroom

• Understand what course management software is and what it offers you as a student
• Recognize the skills necessary to participate fully in the online components of any course
• Practice using several different discussion forum software products
• Practice using a simple template to build a glossary of terms related to a course
• Practice using free journaling software
• Practice starting your own personal journal to consolidate what you learn as you go

Chapter 3: Internet Basics

• Understand what the Internet really is and how it can benefit you as a learner
• Understand how the Internet came to exist and why
• Understand what an ISP is and how to choose the right one for your needs
• Visit two Web sites that review ISPs
• Understand what a browser is
• Download the latest version of your browser
• Install a range of plugins used in online learning
• Understand hyperlinks and hypertext, how they work and how they can help you as a learner
• Break down a URL into its component parts
• If you need it, practice using a mouse, clicking on links, and surfing the Web
• Look for patterns in your own use of the Internet
• Explore three Web sites that serve as guides to the Internet
• Learn about books that can deepen your understanding of the Internet

Chapter 4: Email

• Consolidate what you know about email and how it can help you as a student
• Explore various free email software programs
• Deconstruct an email address
• Recognize the skills necessary to use an email program efficiently
• Visit several Web tutorials about email
• Practice sending email

Chapter 5: Netiquette (InterNET EtIQUETTE)

• Understand the accepted standards for online behavior
• Recognize common emoticons and abbreviations
• Understand the copyright issues unique to the Internet
• Know the rules for determining when a document enters the public domain
• Explore Web sites on netiquette
• Explore Web sites on emoticons
• Explore Web sites on Internet ethics and privacy

Bonus Chapter: Learn Basic HTML Codes

• Understand what HTML code is and how it can help you as a student
• Deconstruct a basic HTML code
• Learn and practice more than a dozen common HTML codes for use in assignment presentations

Student Tool Kit

Reach all of the following resources from a single page:

• Online dictionaries
• Online thesauri
• Online encyclopedias
• Online grammar guides
• Maps online
• Government statistics
• More than half of all U.S. government documents
• Full texts of thousands of books, from Aesop’s Fables to Shakespeare’s plays
• Audio recordings of thousands of politically significant events
• Virtual Museums
• Online reference resources
• Glossary templates
• Template for online group guidelines
• Other educational sites (e.g., climate conditions, fun, utilities, live Webcams)

Volume 2: Mastering the Process of Online Learning

Chapter 1: Understanding Online Participation

• Understand the generally accepted standards for frequency and style of participation.
• Know the appropriate use of language for online interaction.
• Understand the accepted standards for online document formatting.
• Practice using evolving subject lines in messages.
• Understand the concept of conversational “threading.”
• Understand the concept of language “chunking.”
• Consider a range of strategies for successful online interaction.
• Review four checklists of tips for success at online interaction.

Chapter 2: Creating the Best Work Station for Online Study

• Acknowledge the importance of safety and comfort to the online learning process.
• Break down the components of an appropriate environment for online study.
• Consider seven guidelines for preventing computer-related injuries.
• Analyze the ergonomics of your own work station.
• Learn the unique time management skills required for efficient online study.
• Recognize three types of environment used for online communication.
• Consider four possible methods of reading on a computer screen and their different purposes.
• Understand when, when not, and how to print out information.
• Learn how to take notes on the computer while reading on screen.
• Learn how to save pages to disk.
• Learn how and when to download files.
• Understand and practice bookmarking.

Chapter 3: Submitting Assignments by Email

• Acknowledge five challenges and nine benefits to sharing computer files.
• Learn the five pieces of information to include on the cover page of any assignment you submit by email.
• Learn how to protect your computer from viruses.
• Learn when to use rich text format.
• Understand accepted standards for delivering extra-large files.
• Understand the value of conversion software and where to get it.
• Learn eight steps for attaching a file to an email message.
• Practice sending a typical assignment file.
• Read an article on foolproof file enclosures.

Chapter 4: Using the Internet for Assignment Research

• Acknowledge the value of careful planning for Internet research.
• Learn a 14-step strategy for successful Internet research.
• Practice each of the 14 steps.
• Visit an online dictionary, an online thesaurus, and up to three online library catalogs.
• Understand and practice “uncovering.”
• Compare several popular search engines and learn how to choose the best one for various types of research questions.
• Consider various search strategies.
• Visit up to seven database sites.
• Understand boolean operators and how to use them in your Internet research.
• Understand how to evaluate resources found on the Internet.
• Hone your critical thinking skills.
• Try out a software program for record keeping.
• Understand the accepted method for citing quotations from Internet sources.
• Visit a site full of Web searching tips.
• Take an electronic tutorial on Web searching.
• Read an article about copyright and fair use in the digital age.
• Visit up to five online citation guides and learn about the most popular print-based style guides.
• Acknowledge the legal and moral obligations associated with copyright.
• Understand when you can and cannot legally copy someone else’s work.
• Review 10 important rules for determining when a document is in the public domain.

Chapter 5: Using the Internet for Group Learning

• Acknowledge the individual participant’s responsibility to an online group.
• Recognize 10 activities that any group can do together and eight benefits of doing them online.
• Understand the benefits and limitations of seven different types of media used for online group interaction.
• Understand the 11 steps to starting an online learning group.
• Look at a template of guidelines for group procedures, behavior, and shared values.
• Understand alignment and recognize seven possible levels of individual alignment with group goals.
• Understand the difference between discussion and dialogue.
• Explore up to four Web sites that introduce group process tools.
• Learn two valuable tips for successful chatting.
• Understand both qualitative and quantitative “harvesting.”
• Understand “weaving.”
• Recognize the resources necessary for collaborative learning.
• Understand the differences between traditional learning and collaborative, team-based learning.
• Understand eight steps that occur in the formation of any collaborative group.
• Learn 15 tips for successfully facilitating an online study group.
• Practice planning an online group activity.