Some Tips on How to Learn Online
So - how to learn online? What is involved in learning online or by distance education? Clearly it is different to how most of us learned at school. So to what extent will the skills we acquired and used there help us?
How to learn online: Do we use earlier skills?
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Clearly learning online is different to how most of us learned at primary and secondary school. So to what extent will the skills we acquired and used there help us? Probably not a lot. In fact, it is probably better to forget about how we did it at school altogether. Knowing how to learn online is completely different and it is confusing to try to equate the two things.
When you're learning in a classroom setting, the teacher is always there to help you learn and to structure your learning. But when you're learning online, there is nobody actually physically present to help you with your online study. However, you are usually given a structure within which to learn and e-tutors to help you. But in the end it depends on you to be motivated and dedicated. Of course, this is true of any learning - only YOU can do it.
How to learn online: What tools are needed?
Your main tools for online study are a computer and the Internet. And if you are already using one of the social networking sites such as FaceBook, then you will probably have most of the basic skills.
You will need to be able to send an e-mail and use the Internet. You will also need to become familiar with posting messages to a discussion forum, so try doing that on some of the public forums first. Remember to observe the network etiquette (sometimes called "netiquette") outlined below.
You will probably be creating documents (e.g., in Microsoft Office or Open Office) and attaching them to e-mail messages or uploading them to an "assignment post box" in the learning management system used by your institution.
How to learn online using network etiquette
Here are a few of the golden rules for Internet communication in the online learning setting:
- Always show respect for your classmates and instructors. Although computer-mediated communication can seem impersonal, there is a person at the other end. Think of the feelings of that other person. And always avoid offensive language.
- Read all the posts related to the discussion before commenting. That way you avoid unnessary repetition. If you find that someone has made a comment that you agree with, say so, but build on it so that the discussion is taken further.
- Learn the language of the Internet. There are a lot of conventions that have emerged in this form of communication, e.g., using all capitals means that you are shouting. So best to learn them or you might find yourself upsetting someone.
- Stay on topic. Keep what you are saying brief and to the point. Do not introduce new topics or it creates a very confusing string of emails. If you want to talk about a new topic, start a new email thread with a new subject heading.
- Review you work before sending it. Sometimes we write things in the "heat of the moment", or make silly mistakes. So always leave aside what you have written for a little while, then review it with a fresh mind, modify it, review again and then send it.
- Always respect the privacy of others. Do not share their email or other details with people without their consent.
- And, of course, do not use the Internet to send inappropriate material.
More information on how to learn online
Click here for more tips on how to learn online
Free e-Book
Click here for a free e-book on Distance education for teacher training - a valuable resource for those interested in not just online and distance learning but also in technology and professional development.
Online Learning More Effective
A report released in June 2009 by the U.S. Department of Education, which analyzed 46 studies comparing online learning to face-to-face education, concludes that the former is more effective - at least at university level.
Academics and administrators involved in online education welcomed this report as vindication of what they have known (or believed) for many years. Anaheim University's Chancellor Dr. Garnet Birch said,
"I'm so excited that the Department of Education and the Secretary of Education have confirmed what we have been aware of at Anaheim University for over a decade. If you hire expert professors to teach online and recruit highly qualified students from around the world, you can expect to see results that are not only equal to what you might find in a regional on-campus based program, but superior. America needs a 21st Century approach towards higher education that matches the lifestyles of young homemakers, teachers and business people who are pursuing their education while working and fulfilling their family responsibilities at the same time. We are ecstatic to see that the U.S. Dept. of Education has found that online education is every bit as effective as on-campus education. We have seen first-hand our graduates out-perform their peers in the workplace and this report is in line with what we have experienced."
Download the Department of Education Report "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning" here:
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf
About Anaheim University
Anaheim University is a nationally accredited online institution of higher learning headquartered in Anaheim, California. The University offers online Masters and Certificate programs in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), online MBA programs and Online Certificate, Diploma and MBA (Online Green MBA) programs in Sustainable Management.
