How to get the best from your e-learning experience
Online learning has been proven to be an effective and more convenient mode of learning as opposed to traditional learning. Be that as it may, online learning requires self-restraint, time management, and will-power as it might be a challenge for students to effectively finish their e-learning courses.
Online learning allows for flexibility and most people tend to treat it like a faux course, but online courses are as real as the traditional courses and they need to be treated as such.
In this article, we’ll share 5 tips on how to stay focused when taking online courses and how to get the best out of them.
- Start small: Being newly introduced to online learning and burdening oneself with multiple courses at a time can get frustrating and discouraging. When taking online courses the better option would be to start small i.e. start with one course and work towards finishing the course while also learning how online courses work.
Once a student has gotten a grasp of the whole idea of virtual learning and the student believes he/she can take on more courses, it is at this moment that taking multiple courses becomes a reasonable choice. - Choose a permanent study space: Based on diverse personality types, different people have different ways in which they process information and most times the environment contributes a lot to this process. Online learning needs full concentration, therefore getting a permanent study space creates some sort of safe haven to a student’s learning experience.
By studying at a particular space continuously you’ll begin to create a routine, so research on what type of environment boosts your productivity and leverage on that to get the best from your e-learning experience. Students should also make sure that their study space should have working internet, be organized and should be conducive for learning
3. Get rid of distractions: Focusing fully on an online course might be difficult for students, stemming from the fact that the internet is the greatest invention of man and also the greatest distraction of man. Most students find it hard to detach themselves from social networks and their phones! Some simply can’t let a single message go by without responding to it. Online courses need student’s focus and full attention, therefore the best thing is to get rid of such distractions by all means so as to succeed. Applications like FLIPD (for mobile) and the Focus Assist feature (on Microsoft and Apple Operating Systems) have been created to help with getting rid of distractions by simply hiding all the applications and notifications that may be distracting for a period of time.
4. Create a study schedule: There’s nothing that maximizes productivity more than a detailed schedule. Creating a strict schedule for study and following it through would help a student get the best from their E-learning experience. A clear cut-out schedule eliminates any feeling of overwhelm, disorganization and also prevents procrastination. Therefore, build a study schedule, plan ahead, have a functioning calendar system, create to-do lists, set time limits and most importantly, stay on schedule.
5. Take part in online discussions: One major attribute of traditional learning is the fact that it allows for students to build relationships and interact with each other. Online learning, on the other hand, may feel like a student is isolated, but one thing students don’t understand is that most online courses are built on the concept of collaboration. Students should learn to take part in online discussions by contributing to and gaining from their peers. A virtual study group can also be created for students and their peers to enable them to instill knowledge into each other and shed more light on areas of the course that they didn’t totally understand. Students should also make sure that they write in clear and concise sentences to avoid misunderstanding and conflict.
By following these 5 tips, students should be able to get the best from their E-learning experience and whenever the going gets rough or tough every individual should remember the reason why they started taking the course in the first place, stay motivated, make time for themselves regularly, inspire themselves by decorating their study space with inspirational quotes, stay positive and keep their head up high.
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