Summary
- Online learning – the new norm
- Difficulties in online learning
- Online learning strategies for students.
Online learning is a new concept to almost everyone. In the last couple of years, online learning has become the norm.
Students and teachers scrambled to make sense of the new technique in learning. Confusion prevailed everywhere.
It was just a matter of time before students and teachers got comfortable with the new system. However, this new system of education still needs fine-tuning.
There are still several online methods, techniques, tricks, and hacks that can enhance the learning power of the students.
Difficulty Level
Many people are of the opinion that online learning is much easier than offline courses. However, this may not always be the case.
Online learning can be one of the most difficult methods to adopt in learning. This is because of the various external factors that affect online learning.
Offline learning more or less involves only two factors, that is the physical presence of the student and teacher.
Whereas, online learning is dependent on various other factors, apart from the virtual presence of the teacher and student, like internet connectivity, conducive atmosphere, and the absence of peers and friends among other factors.
Therefore, online learning is not as simple as it looks. Students often complain of being unable to concentrate in an online class and thereby not being able to receive the knowledge intended.
Below we have made a list of online learning strategies that students can adopt to increase the value of online education.
Online Learning Tips for Students
1. Reliable Network
The first and foremost online learning tip for students is to have reliable internet connectivity. If the connectivity or network is poor, then the point of online learning is completely lost.
Make sure you have a good range and internet connection before you embark on your online learning quest.
2. Be Organized
Before an online session starts, it is best to have everything you need right beside you. It can be a simple pen and notepad and the course material required.
It is very tempting for students to get up in the middle of an online class to get some stationery that they missed out on.
This can easily distract the student and result in the absorption of half-baked knowledge. Therefore, it is advisable for students to keep everything organized before the online session starts.
It is an effective online learning strategy to keep everything ready and organized beforehand. It not only saves you time but allows you to concentrate more on the lesson being taught.
3. Keep a Conducive Environment
An offline class creates the perfect environment to study. Blackboard, audiovisual aids, no distraction, etc. However, online classes are usually taken from the comfort of your home.
An online class can even be taken while you lie comfortably on your bed. This can make it a bit too comfortable and you could end up falling asleep while attending an online class.
One of the online learning strategies for students is to create a conducive learning atmosphere.
Remember, a home atmosphere can have many distractions like family members around, mobile phones, snacks and eatables within hand reach, and the aroma of home-cooked food.
Classroom learning is less distracting than online learning as in classroom learning the perfect environment is created.
To avoid distractions during online learning, the best online tip for students is to create a classroom kind of atmosphere. Attend your online class like you were attending an offline session in school.
If you are attending online classes from home, inform family members that you would like to be undisturbed.
Also, ensure that the room you take up your online classes from must have enough lighting and seating arrangements.
Do not try to balance your device on your lap, otherwise, you might end up taking more frequent unnecessary breaks to stretch. Create the best ambiance for your online learning session.
4. Know Your Body Type
Online learning sessions can be synchronous or asynchronous.
Synchronous online courses are online sessions where the teachers and students virtually meet at a specific time and for a specific period. They are live sessions during the day.
Asynchronous online courses are online sessions where students are able to attend pre-recorded sessions. Here, students and teachers are not virtually live.
When students have asynchronous classes make sure you attend the session at a time convenient to you. If you are a morning person, it is best to attend the sessions in the morning.
If you think you are more of an evening person and find that your concentration power is more in the evening, then feel free to attend the class in the evening.
Wherever you decide to do, make certain that you know your body and the best time for your body and mind.
A study conducted in 2017, revealed that the best time to study is later in the day. The study took into consideration two groups of students from the University of Nevada.
The study showed that much later starting times of after 11 a.m. or noon, result in the best learning. It also revealed that those who saw themselves as “evening” people outnumbered the “morning” people by 2:1.
Find out your body’s best time and attend classes at that time. This is an effective online learning strategy.
5. Make a Timetable
One of the best online learning strategies for students is to make a timetable of your online classes and studying schedule. This way, you can plan your day accordingly, eliminating any scope for misadventures.
6. Be Proactive Online
Actively participating online is another effective online learning strategy for students. Being proactive or actively participating in online sessions keeps the mind alert and eliminates distractions.
It must be noted that, unlike offline sessions, online learning does not give the experience of face-to-face interactions.
Since classes are held virtually there can be only limited interaction between students and teachers. Therefore, it is advisable to actively participate in online sessions to the maximum possible.
Thereby giving a classroom kind of atmosphere. Answer and ask questions, participate in discussions and debates and interact with classmates and friends. This will give you a sense of belonging to the class.
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7. Interact with Friends
In order to benefit from online courses, it is necessary that you interact with friends and peers. You may not be physically meeting any of your friends and classmates, but it is essential to remain in touch with them outside of the online course.
This way you can get alerts about the course, chat casually with friends, and discuss the session. In classroom learning, you need not make much of an effort to interact with friends, but in online classes, the effort to remain in touch with friends is more.
Make that extra effort to keep in touch with friends online. This online learning strategy will help you greatly with your communication and networking skills in the future.
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8. Eliminate Distractions
Online learning can be very distracting because there is no one to reprimand you like in a classroom setup. Therefore it is essential that as a student, you eliminate distractions on your own.
Knowing that there is no one to reprimand you when you get distracted, it is easy to fall prey to distractions in an online class.
Mobiles, open web pages, chat rooms, social media are all bad distractions during online classes. Keep these distractions at bay for an effective online learning experience.
9. Take Notes
Another online learning strategy for students is to take notes while the online class is in progress. Apart from keeping you engaged, it also augments your learning capacity.
10. Take Breaks
One of the best online learning tips for students is to take frequent breaks. Screen time can be taxing for the eyes and the body. Resting your eye and body is necessary to be able to sustain online learning for longer periods.
11. Keep a Healthy Body
Online learning is more of a stationary kind of learning. Unlike classroom learning where students interact with each other while moving around the classrooms and playing outdoors.
During online classes, students sit in one place in front of the screen. Here there is no physical activity. Leading to a sedentary kind of lifestyle.
A 2016 research paper “Online learning and the effects on functional health” presented by Jessica Mangis Eastern Washington University revealed that online learning presents a major risk to our emotional and physical health, otherwise known as functional health which results in a trend away from active leisure pursuits and recreational sports and leading us towards a sedentary lifestyle.
Sedentary behavior leads to many health risks and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, one of the leading causes of death.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep a healthy body by following a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Conclusion
Online learning is here to stay. It is no longer considered a future mode of learning but is now the present learning strategy.
Keeping up with the times is one of the best ways to take control of your life. Managing online learning and overcoming all its difficulties and hurdles is the way to move forward.
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