How To Get The Best From Online Learning: Six Guidelines
November 28th, 2009 by Sophia PetersWith the globalization of the economy have come many changes. Distance is no longer an obstacle to communication; labour crosses borders; jobs change; and people change jobs frequently. And because of all these changes, lifelong education becomes particularly important in this knowledge-based economy.
Of course, this is why so many people study on-campus at university or college. But many others already have jobs or other commitments and so cannot attend on-campus classes. If you are one of these people, online learning provides a flexible solution. But to succeed you need to take account of the following six guidelines.
Online education is a flexible form of education, but it doesn't mean that you can keep "putting off" your learning day after day. All too often, that is what often happens - and this results in failure to learn. So be organised - manage your time. Set aside a regular time in your diary for study of the material and completion of assignments.
With the world of work and our living environment constantly changing, you need to be constantly learning new ways of doing things. To be successful, you need a desire for life-long learning. And this is precisely what you should have or wish to develop in yourself - a desire to learn.
You shouldn't only acquire knowledge - you should also acquire the skills to acquire knowledge. In particular, learning online requires that you develop these skills. This means having well-developed critical reading and thinking skills as well as the technical skills of how find books or web sites on a particular subject.
For many of us, our school experience has taught us to be "passive learners" - we were told the knowledge, we learned it by rote and then we repeated it in an exam. Passive learning seemed to be a useful strategy for success. Unfortunately, that is not a useful strategy for success in today's world, or, indeed, in online learning. If you are learning online, the courseware often includes questions, exercises and further reading so that your learning can be active rather than passive. You must make sure that you complete all the exercises and that you thoroughly interact with the material.
Lectures in high school classrooms and in undergraduate classes can all so easily encourage the "passive learning" already referred to. But real learning takes place when you are interacting with the materials and with others. So try to find a learning group, either in your area or online, and exchange ideas regularly. Also, make sure that you respond to all the e-Tutor's requests for participation in the discussion forums. There may even be a mark allocated for such participation.
I recently heard of a government official who had his position taken away from him on the grounds that he hadn't earned his qualifications because they were from a "diploma mill" - a business that simply prints diplomas and degrees. He protested that he had "earned" them because he paid good money for them. You must always make sure that the online qualification you receive is from an accredited institution and the form of accreditation is recognised in your country. Never "buy" a qualification from a "diploma mill".
Sophia Peters writes articles for the where you can find out more about . Visit the web site for details of where and how to study online.
Related posts:
- Online Learning Is Not For Everyone The world wide web has made the prospect of completing...
- Get A Degree: Distance learning college If you work full time and desire to expand your...
- Degree through Distance Learning: Important Information Distance learning is an excellent way to receive the certification...
- Online Training: Learning on Wheels? Online training has changed the traditional learning and training experience....
- Now Is The Best Time To Take An Online Program In Nursing. What Is Involved? Do you want a career in nursing? If so then...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.