Strategies for Effective Online Learning
The key advantages promised by online education may be overwhelming to its new students. But like your traditional classroom discussion, online learning takes time and energy for you to succeed in your academics.
It is a non-traditional route and may need a different set of learning strategies and skills. Here are 6 tips that will help you navigate in a fully online setup and get more value from your virtual education.
- Set your goals.
Do this at the beginning of the semester. With your study load already handed to you upon enrollment, knowing your goals for the semester will help in your productivity along the way. Your goals can be subcategorized. You can have one main goal for the entire period and have few more that are course specific. Having the right intentions at the back of your head will allow you to perform your best in all of your course works. You can format your study habits based on your goals. You can be forward looking and this will help you during the entire process of accomplishing your desired results.
- Check in with yourself.
Setting goals is not enough. At one point, you have to pause to assess yourself on where you currently stand with your goals and study habits. Check your progress. Check your routine. If it has become ineffective, redevelop. I know it is easier said than done but an effectivity check in your study routine every ones in a while will keep you on track and productive with your academics.
- Practice time management.
With the many distractions at your new learning environment, it pays to learn to manage your time better. Good time management will help you accomplish more in a short period of time without having to sacrifice the quality of your outputs or depth of your acquired learnings. This skill will help you become self-disciplined. Done are the days you procrastinate or nights of cramming to meet a deadline the following day if you master this skill. Without having to press requirements at a certain period, you will be able to avoid stress and failing remarks.
Managing your time better should not only be focused on your academics. By good time management skills, it means that you are able to become effective in your studies and at the same time have your own space and time for family commitments and personal errands.
- Maintain your study space.
We all want things a certain way for us to be productive. And for a healthy eLearning, your study space plays a big factor in how effective you will be while in your course sessions. Maintaining and designing your study space can contribute to your success in your lessons. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. It only has to be neat and organized.
Practice fixing your study space the night before your school day so you can allot more time for studying on the day proper. This will help create a fresh start for you. Decluttering your space will help avoid another distraction while you are in your discussions. Keep your study essentials within your reach, such as calculators, highlighters, pens, and clean pads of paper, etc. This will help avoid unnecessary actions on your end while on live class session.
- Set an effective study routine.
Your study routine can change overtime depending on your course requirements. Being able to identify when and what requires more of your time will help you become an effective learner. This will help you plan out your schedule in advance and will give you time to rearrange your priorities depending on your deadlines or exam schedules. Like time management, having an effective study routine will minimize stress in your academics. Cramming is the worst way to study so by setting the right amount of time to go over your past lessons will surely guarantee you better outcomes.
- Eliminate distractions.
Distractions can be inevitable in a learn from home setup, but your reaction to it you can control. It is best that while studying at home, you isolate yourself from your other family members. Find a safe space where you can continue with your studies and work freely without being disturbed. It is also good to communicate with them in advance your schedule so they know when you are available for other matters and how they will behave during your study period or whenever you are around. You may differ in routines with your family members but we all know how they can be very supportive.
- Connect with your classmates or teachers.
Remote learning may make you feel that you are doing things on your own. It can be stressful with the lack of human interactions. That is why, as much as possible, learn to reach out to your classmates and teachers. Ask questions. Hold an online huddle to share your thoughts amongst each other. You will be surprised by how badly they needed the interaction too. With this you can all expound your topics to create a shared understanding. Physical presence may be impossible these days but virtual connections have been made possible by resources and the Internet.