The World for Freedom

Revision as of 17:54, 26 March 2020

    What are some ways students can learn best while studying online?
    Use two details from the passage to support your response.

Taking an online course for the first time is not the easiest thing in the world to do, but not that hard either. I have been a member of Coursera’s Teaching and Learning team and I’ve had the privilege to work with hundreds of educators to bring their courses to more than 48 million people around the world. Based on research and best practices from our community, here are eight, go-to study tips for learning online.

Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish in your course each day. Setting a clear goal can help you stay motivated and beat procrastination. The goal should be specific and easy to measure, such as “I’ll watch all the videos in Module 2 and complete the first programming assignment.” And don’t forget to reward yourself when you make progress towards your goal!

It’s easier to recall information if you’re in the same place where you first learned it, so having a dedicated space at home to take online courses can make your learning more effective. Remove any distractions from the space, and if possible, make it separate from your bed or sofa. A clear distinction between where you study and where you take breaks can help you focus.

Time and schedules are important for many things and studying well needs time and a schedule. Open your calendar and choose a predictable, reliable time that you can dedicate to watching lectures and completing assignments. This helps ensure that your courses won’t become the last thing on your to-do list. So, schedule time to study on your calendar.

Saying or thinking what you’re going to do may not be enough to complete the work you have set for yourself. Sometimes telling your friends about the h.w., projects, classes, or courses you’re taking help keep you to completing them as well as posting achievements to your social media accounts. Having a community and support network of friends and family to cheer you on makes a difference.

While in class, on the computer, of course, you should take notes which can promote active thinking, boost comprehension, and extend your attention span. It’s a good strategy to internalize knowledge whether you’re learning online or in the classroom. So, grab a notebook or find a digital app that works best for you and start synthesizing key points.

Students who actively participate in classes can do better. Course discussion forums are a great place to ask questions about assignments, discuss topics, share resources, and make friends. Our research shows that learners who participate in the discussion forums are 37% more likely to complete a course. So, make a post or add to the chat today! Multitasking is less productive than focusing on a single task at a time. Researchers from Stanford University found that “People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time.” Stay focused on one thing at a time. You’ll absorb more information and complete assignments with greater productivity and ease than if you were trying to do many things at once.

Resting your brain after learning is critical to high performance. If you find yourself working on a challenging problem without much progress for an hour, take a break. Walking outside, taking a shower, or talking with a friend can re-energize you and even give you new ideas on how to tackle that project.

Though it may seem as if online studying is a separate form of studying method than in-class studying, but in fact, it’s just an extension. In both cases, students have teachers, classmates, study material, and assignments. So, while studying online make the best out of the experience and try your best to follow some of the great methods suggested in this article.