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It is essential for students to be committed towards online learning for them to be successful. They must be able to follow all deadlines and complete all their assignments on time. Following are the guidelines that can help steer the students through their online learning experience:
Pointers for online learning:
- Keeping their mind open to new experiences as part of the learning process, students should be able to express themselves openly and freely.
- It is necessary to be able to communicate and express opinions effectively through writing.
- Self-motivation and discipline are two things that students must have in order to gain benefits of learning online. Being responsible and committed is important to be able to handle the workload and complete all assignments on time.
- With the help of critical thinking and decision making, online learners can respond after carefully considering all probable solutions.
- It is important to think about the ideas thoroughly before responding, fostering the learning process. Responses from students are of utmost importance.
- The online environment is a perfect place for high quality learning. With the correct use of technology and effective communication, students can learn a great deal.
- The course syllabus should be read in-depth. The exact assignment details should be followed. Nothing extra or less should be done.
- Students should do their own detailed research to familiarise with the online tools and add to the available content.
- Having a backup of the study material is very important so that if any sort of disruption in the technology occurs, all important files are still protected.
Things to look out for:
- Seclusion: An online environment, in contrast to a traditional classroom makes students feel more isolated. There is limited social interaction which could sometimes cause demotivation among students.
- Support: It is difficult for instructors to provide timely assistance in an online learning environment. It requires a bit more effort on the part of the students to seek the instructor’s feedback. Technical issues might also arise during the course.
- Access to technology: An imperative part of this type of learning is the availability and access to technology. Computers should meet minimum standards along with the availability of fast internet connection.
- Online library: Students require some facilities if not many and one of them is an online library where they can access course material.
Benefits of online learning:
- Flexibility: Having the freedom of studying on one’s own speed and following the work schedule anytime is one of the perks that only online learners enjoy.
- Interaction: Online learning promotes team learning. With the exchange of diverse materials and discussion, the interaction between students increase.
- Technology: Online learning also teaches technology skills to students that help them excel in all areas of studies.
- Group learning: When students work together in groups while completing online activities, they develop team spirit and the ability to work with diverse people.
Time management:
- Make a plan: It is necessary to structure the work schedule and for that, a study calendar is the best way. Before starting the course, students should read their syllabus thoroughly and prepare a calendar with due dates. Time for different classes should also be designated and the schedule should be followed strictly.
- Do daily work: As the only tool required to study online, is an internet connection, it is easy to check in daily. By studying daily, students can stay on schedule and even be ahead of it.
- Know what’s ahead: Students should make a habit of knowing what is due in not just the next day but also in the coming weeks so that they can use their given time productively. It is also necessary to complete assignments before time and not in the nick of the time. When assignments are finished before the due date, it gives the students ample time to make any required corrections.
- Plan for problems: Studying online is not problem free. Problems with technology are not unusual. To avoid such issues, it is better not to work at the last moment. Things should be done before time.
There are a lot of websites that teach IT online and among the many, following are a few:
https://www.cybedu.net/en
https://alison.com/learn/information-technology
https://www.reed.co.uk/courses/it/online
https://www.onlineitcourses.com/
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/categories/online-and-digital
https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/training.aspx
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/subjects/information_technology.shtml
Learning is now not confined to classrooms only. Students who live far, can also collaborate with their tutors and other students in acquiring knowledge and learning new skills because of the technological advancements. Time and distance are trivial things when it comes to enhancing knowledge.
However, for students to stay committed learn the most from the teacher-student interaction, implementation of proper strategies is required.
About the author:
MiaMorshead works as a private tutor and educator. But currently she is studying herself at Cyber Academy diploma courses. Mia has a keen interest in web-designing as well and when she is not busy with her work, she usually spends her time reading and writing on web-design.
