Learner Strategies and Impacts in Online Courses
It can seem like distance learning has appeared out of nowhere with this pandemic. But, the fact is that traditional education’s shift towards distance learning had been steadily growing long before this pandemic. The entire world is operating through the digital world nowadays and the truth is that it's here to stay.
Expeditious developments in the field of technology have made distance education more easy. Online courses give you the freedom to learn whenever wherever and however works best for you. There are some strategies that help tutor and students up for success in online courses.
Online Learning Strategies
Know The Technology
Tech is more important than ever so it's essential to understand the basics of it. Most of the people are new to online learning. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the technology so you will be prepared for your first class. Be very careful about where we should go for technical support.
Be An Active Participant
Students should take time to engage with the instructor and classmates and tend to have success in their classes. Don't be afraid to reach out to your instructor to ask questions. Always try to contribute rapid, regular and open responses to questions. It's also important to build relationships with other students because they can be a valuable resource when preparing for the exams. So always make connections with the other students in your online class.
Figure Out How You Learn Best
Not everyone learns the same way so, always be clear about when and how you establish your best work. Think about what types of information help you best grasp the concepts and study strategies. If you learn best by listening, build a hobby to play and replay all audio and video based course content. If you are a visual learner you can print out transcripts of the video lectures to make your learning easy.
Regularly Check Content Resources And Applications
It's important to check the links, resources, modules and activities regularly. Learning materials regardless of what kind, all have some functions in student learning. Learning materials can provide a valuable routine in the teaching and learning process. Worksheets, videos, group activity instructions or any other learning materials allows students to modify and best activate their learning.
Make A Schedule
In online learning, it's important to hold your time management skills. Break up your workload into chunks so that you can dedicate certain hours for your hobbies. It's always helpful to set reminders for yourself to complete the tasks.
Build Relationships With Your Classmates
Build relationships with the other students in your classroom and make a built in study group at your fingertips. Make connections with other students by introducing yourself and engaging in online discussion boards. Just because you are physically not in the same place doesn’t mean you can't get to know your fellow classmates.
Get Organized
It's always very important for the learners to get organized. Just as you would in the physical classroom, make sure you have study materials on hand. Ensure that you have the technical capability to access the resources including e-books, online tools and course websites. When you are attending the class try to limit distractions as much as possible, both physically and online.
Hold Yourself Accountable
When you are in a traditional classroom, you will often receive verbal or visual reminders of an assignment's upcoming due date. But in an online classroom without a teacher actively reminding you, it's up to you to make sure that you have completed the work. So always be responsible.
Learner Impacts
Nowadays online learning has proven to be a successful method of learning. As technology advances the popularity of online education also increases. Understanding the advantages of online learning is important as online learning rapidly becomes one of the most effective ways to impart education.
Offers Flexible Learning Hours
Online learning offers students the opportunity to learn whenever they want to learn. So when we consider the impacts of online learning in learners, flexible learning hours are a big influence. This helps the learners to balance their education with their home life. Allowing the students the flexibility to learn when they feel comfortable may also increase their ability to retain knowledge.
Allows Learners To Create Their Own Learning Environment
One of the key advantages of online learning is that students learn better and feel more comfortable learning in an environment of their choosing. This is not always possible in a classroom. This can have positive impacts on how they absorb information.
Connects Students And Teachers Internationally
A big advantage of online learning is it can connect students and teachers around the world. With online learning you can sign up for classes all over the world, this helps students to build their network. It can open the door to new opportunities and help them develop skills that will serve them well in the future.
Provides Learners More Control Over Their Education
Online learning gives students time to teach themselves concepts differently. Whereas traditional learning allows teachers to decide how they will convey information to students. Online learning provides more flexibility and gives students control over their education. Online learning has made students independent learners. Thereby it helps the students to recognize their personal responsibility and motivate them from within.
Technological Improvement
No doubt that online learning helped both students and teachers to improve their technical skills. Presentations, online assessment and digital assignments have made the online learning process more easier for the students. As technology rapidly develops it opens up a new space for learning where students are allowed more freedom and teachers are guides in an exciting new world of almost infinite knowledge.
Online learning is just another learning environment. It allows educators and students to work and exchange ideas and information from anywhere in the world using multiple communication modes. Digital learning not only creates smarter, more productive people but also makes them well informed about new technologies and able to stay on top of emerging trends.
