Supporting First Time Online Learners in Their First 45 Days

Sep 27

6 min read

Starting an online course can feel different for a student who is used to learning primarily in a traditional classroom. There may be more responsibility for managing time, tracking assignments, communicating with an instructor, and knowing when to ask for help.

That does not mean students need to arrive already knowing how to do all of those things.

The first 45 days are an opportunity to help first time online learners understand how their course works, establish a workable routine, recognize when something is not going as planned, and gradually take ownership of their learning. Parents, guardians, and school counselors can be a huge help with this process.

Child in headphones waves at a smiling man on a laptop video call at a desk with papers and a notebook.

As the Course Begins, Make Sure You Clearly Understand Expectations

Before the first assignment is due, students should know what they are getting into.

That includes understanding how the course is structured, what types of assignments they will complete, how much time they should expect to spend on coursework, how they will communicate with their instructor, and where to find assignments, materials, and important course information.

These expectations matter because skills like time management and help seeking are part of successful online learning, but students do not necessarily begin with the same level of experience using them. A 2024 study of students in an online secondary charter school found that students identified help seeking and time management as important parts of self regulation, highlighting the role these skills play in navigating online learning.

Some of this information can be found in AVLI's What to Expect resource which gives students and families a starting point for understanding what an AVLI course is like before they begin from the perspective of current and past students and teachers. Once courses begin, course specific information can be found in the first section of each course and students are asked to review this information as the first steps in beginning their work.

Weeks 1 and 2: Build the Routine

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The first couple of weeks are about more than completing the first assignments. They are a chance to establish a rhythm. Students can start by identifying when they will regularly work on their online course, looking ahead at upcoming deadlines, checking how their instructor communicates with them, and developing a simple way to keep track of assignments.

There is no single schedule that works for every online learner. AVLI courses can vary in structure, so the goal is not to prescribe exactly when students should work. It is to help them create a routine that fits the course and the rest of their schedule.

AVLI's Mastering Self Discipline and Time Management in Online Education offers practical strategies students can use to manage their time and stay on track. A routine does not have to be perfect on day one. Students can learn from the first couple of weeks and make adjustments as they go.

Weeks 3 and 4: Look for Early Signals

By the third and fourth weeks, students have enough experience to start noticing what is working and what is not. This is also when teachers, school staff, and families may begin to recognize patterns.

What the Student May Notice

Students can ask themselves:

Am I keeping up with assignments and deadlines?
Do I understand what my instructor expects?
Do I know where to find upcoming work and course materials?
Do I know how to ask my instructor a question?
Am I spending roughly the amount of time I expected?
Am I putting work off because I am unsure how to get started?

The goal is not for every student to have everything figured out by week four. Instead, students should begin recognizing their own patterns and feel comfortable asking for help when something is getting in the way. Research on secondary students' online self regulation reinforces the importance of skills such as planning, monitoring, time management, and help seeking.

What the Teacher May Notice

Instructors may see signals that a student needs additional support before the student recognizes the pattern themselves. That might include repeated missed assignments, a drop in participation, difficulty progressing through course materials, work that suggests a misunderstanding of expectations, or a student who stops responding to communication.

Research on an online high school found that teacher engagement included organizing learning activities, facilitating communication with students and parents, providing individualized instruction, motivating students, and monitoring student learning and behavior.

Supporting an online learner is not simply about delivering course content. Communication and awareness of student progress are part of the instructional relationship, too.

What Parents May Notice

Two women study together at a kitchen table in a bright white kitchen, one writing in a notebook near a bowl of apples.

Parents may see a different side of the experience. They might notice that a student is consistently frustrated, struggling to find time for coursework, avoiding assignments, feeling uncertain about expectations, or repeatedly running into technology or communication problems.

Parents do not need to manage the course for their student. Instead, they can encourage the student to communicate with the instructor or school when something is not working and share concerns when they notice a pattern. The earlier those conversations happen, the more opportunity there is to figure out what is getting in the way.

Weeks 5 and 6: Adjust Support and Build Independence

By this point, students have had several weeks to experience the course as part of their regular routine. They may have figured out what works for them, or they may have discovered that their original approach needs to change.

This is a good time to ask a different question: What support does this student need now? For some students, that might mean continuing regular check-ins. For others, it may mean stepping back and allowing them to manage more independently.

School staff can look at progress and communication patterns, instructors can continue providing feedback and addressing concerns, and parents can encourage students to take the lead in communicating when they need help. The goal is not to maintain the same level of adult involvement throughout the semester. It is to help students develop the confidence and habits to manage more of the process themselves.

Know Who Owns What

A successful transition to online learning is a shared effort, but shared support does not mean everyone has the same responsibility.

Students are responsible for completing their work, monitoring their progress, communicating questions, and increasingly advocating for themselves.
Instructors provide instruction, feedback, expectations, communication, and awareness of student progress.
School staff can monitor the student's broader academic experience, identify barriers, and connect students and families with appropriate support.
Parents and families can help create the conditions for success, reinforce routines, and communicate concerns without taking over the course.

Research on adolescent online learning has emphasized the importance of looking beyond the student alone and considering the broader engagement and support environment surrounding them. For schools using AVLI, the Guidance Counselor Toolkit provides weekly reports that counselors and staff can use to check in on students and provide support throughout the course. The goal of support is not to remove responsibility from the student. It is to help the student gradually take more ownership of it.

By Day 45: Check What Is Working

Day 45 does not have to be a pass or fail milestone. It can simply be a useful checkpoint to reflect on the first several weeks and determine whether anything needs to change.

Ask:

Does the student understand how the course works?
Have they developed a workable routine?
Are they generally keeping up with assignments?
Do they know how and when to contact their instructor?
Have technology or communication issues been resolved?
Does the student feel comfortable asking for help?
Is the level of school or family support still appropriate?
What can the student manage independently now that they could not at the beginning?

If something is not working, this is an opportunity to make an adjustment rather than wait for the problem to grow. And needing additional support at day 45 does not mean a student is not capable of succeeding online. They may simply still be developing skills that are new to them.

Person wearing headphones watches a woman on a monitor point to a blank board in a bright home office.

The First 45 Days Can Set the Tone

The first 45 days of an online course are not about making students expert online learners.

They are about helping students understand the course, establish a sustainable routine, recognize when something is not working, and know where to turn for help.

With clear expectations, consistent communication, early attention to emerging challenges, and support that gradually builds independence, the first several weeks can establish habits that carry students through the rest of the semester.

For students and families, AVLI's Student + Parent Toolkit brings together resources designed to support students throughout their AVLI experience. School personnel can also use the Guidance Counselor Toolkit to stay informed and support students throughout their courses.