E-learning has been around for generations. Yet, it has gained the spotlight only recently. In a technology-dominated world, people find online learning more relevant. They can learn without sacrificing the comfort of their home or their wholesome career.
E-learning offers an ocean of learning possibilities. Such learning is innovative, interactive, flexible, and mostly affordable. The voids left by traditional learning, in terms of courses or transaction mode, have been successfully filled up by digital classrooms. In India, online education enrollment grew 170% between 2021 and 2022.
Given the wide range of benefits, e-learning also comes with its own set of challenges. From technical glitches to digital illiteracy, online education can hinder many. Thus, preparing for online learning is crucial.
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Before learning about the tips for online classes, you should also be aware of e-learning issues. This will help you understand the root problem, and therefore, you can easily find a solution.
- Lack of motivation
- Technical glitches
- Digital illiteracy
- Lack of learner-educator interaction
- Plentiful distractions
Successful online learning strategies
Is online learning effective? If that is your question, here are some online learning tips to maximise learning outcomes.
Setting daily study goals
Among the various online learning strategies, the first is setting daily goals. Ask yourself questions like, how many chapters or topics do I complete today? Or how much time should I take per topic? Once you set your daily goals, you will beat procrastination and stay motivated.
While setting daily goals, you must ensure they are specific and easy to achieve. For instance, set goals like ‘I will complete three videos of Module 1 today and finish one assignment’. Once you have achieved the goal, give yourself some tokens or rewards!
Creative a rich learning environment
Look around your house, and find a suitable workstation, be it a library or a corner of your room. Streaming Netflix, scrolling through social media, or simply slouching while learning will not help you to be productive. Online learning comes with plentiful distractions like these, with no educators to monitor you constantly. So, you’re on your own to monitor yourself.
Create a productive learning environment far from distractions like phones or noises. Design your organised workplace, and make a routine by completing your daily work there. An organised workplace, where things are kept in order, makes any learner motivated to reach their daily goals.
Stamp out distractions
Online learning comes with a pool of distractions. You simply cannot afford these distractions if you want to squeeze out the best from online learning. You are mostly tempted to pair your learning with Netflix streaming or window shopping.
Allow yourself some quiet time, which helps to focus. Keep aside devices which can fuel your distractions. If need be, allow some short breaks in between, and ensure you’re active during these breaks. You can take a stroll around or have a short chat with your family but don’t reach out to your electronic devices to relax.
Consistency and commitment
Consistency and commitment are essential among the various online learning strategies. Most online courses today double the pace and pack an entire semester’s curriculum in half the time. This leaves much room for the learners to engage in distractions and lose their learning impetus.
You should be consistent and committed to your learning to counteract this void. Devote sufficient time to virtual classrooms, finishing projects and assignments. Be self-disciplined in task completion within a stipulated time and in your dedicated workspace.
‘Chunking’ strategy
You break down big portions of food into edible and digestible chunks; the same applies to studying. Whenever we see a huge complicated topic, we tend to lose interest in studying it. Our minds work best when it identifies an achievable goal, so we find it easy to learn small topics.
With the chunking strategy, you will chop down huge portions of a topic into smaller, understandable pieces. This way, you will not be staring at a screen for long periods and stress your eyes.
Don’t treat online classes as different
Just because you’re sitting comfortably in your home and learning from a screen doesn’t mean you should treat it differently. You should give e-learning the same commitment as traditional classes because learning is the ultimate objective in both.
Ensure organisation in your study space, and set a schedule for your classes and assignments. Keep distractions aside while the lectures are going on. Instead, make a ritual of taking running notes, just like in a traditional classroom.
Make running notes
Don’t treat the lectures as ‘pre-made’ notes, even if they are recorded or live. In the traditional learning method, when educators give lectures, the learners are inspired to take down running notes. You should do the same when attending online classes.
Making notes will encourage you to be more active in the classes. It will help you stay motivated and focus more in class because you will develop the notes based on your understanding. For pre-recorded lectures, pause them in between to note the key points. If the lecture is live, pay attention and design your notes later based on your understanding.
Be interactive and contribute to the class
Learning isn’t a one-way street; open communication is the key. In a traditional set-up, educators and learners engage in a healthy discussion. The learners are free to raise questions to clear their doubts. In an online class, this doesn’t need to change.
Get more interactive with your instructor, and be more involved in the ongoing discussion. Seek some help from your peers or educators when you face any hindrance. Allow your peers to reach out to you when they are facing problems. You can also join online forums and discussion boards and post your doubts there. Once you develop a habit of contributing to the classes, you will be more motivated to learn.
Create enjoyable study sessions
Learning and studying doesn’t have to be boring. You can customize your study sessions according to your learning preferences and make them more enjoyable. For a kinesthetic learner, it is best to learn with small exercise movements or standing up and moving around while memorizing. If you’re a musical learner, turn on happy, soothing music while learning.
Timely revisions
The chunking strategy involves revising a topic once you’re done learning it. Revision is an important retention strategy and is also helpful in enhancing subject knowledge. Team up with a few of your classmates and create a discussion forum. Sharing your knowledge and asking for peer feedback can be helpful.
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E-learning is ideal if you want to pursue a degree and balance your personal and work life. It is also effective for learners who want to earn a degree unavailable in any traditional setup. Yes, e-learning has challenges, but these online learning tips should make your life easier.
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