EdTechWire
The beginning of the school year appears drastically different to many students. There are going to be a lot of changes, regardless of whether you’re returning to school or attending for the first time. Given that a lot of courses and classes are offered digitally, how can one be successful in online learning?
We’ll look at several strategies for maximizing your effectiveness here. For several students, the abilities and understanding are pre-existing. It merely matters understanding how to put them into practice, as we shall see.
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How to succeed in online classes
While it may seem overwhelming to begin taking classes online, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your lectures, online classes, and courses are as successful as possible. Once more, you may already be using a lot of the information and abilities to further your education. But it’s important to understand when and how to apply these abilities.
There are four key areas you may want to think about in order to succeed with online learning. By focusing on each of these, you can maximize your learning efficiency:
Build a routine
One of the main components of your online education is your study schedule. You will soon notice the benefits if you maintain your excellent practices. You must maintain concentrate even though it’s easy to become complacent when your lectures are streamed live or on demand over the internet. Here are a few methods for doing so:
Read More:Top Free and Paid Online Coding Classes for Kids – Feb 2023
Treat online classes as you would in person
Approaching the experience of online learning as you would an in-person class is one of the finest strategies for success. This entails studying in the same manner as you would if you had to physically attend the class. Maintain the same standards for yourself by being punctual, well-organized, and eager to learn.
Even though it may seem appealing, studying while watching TV or playing video games in class or on your bed is not a good way to learn. Avoid doing it when you’re studying online, just as you wouldn’t during your normal coursework.
Stay disciplined
Maintaining discipline is part of approaching your virtual education the same way you would an in-person encounter. For independent study, you still need to exercise the same self-discipline even though your home may not look like a classroom. You must set aside time for your own studies outside of class, and your timetable should correspond with what your courses require.
Make time and space in your day for studying, and once you have a schedule in place, follow it. Make an effort to include in the amount of time you spend at your desk, as well as time for lunch, quick breaks, and finishing the day. Jotting down your timetable might be beneficial, as it could aid in keeping you focused.
Write up your notes
Regardless of whether your seminars or workshops are recorded in advance or streamed live, you should try to schedule some time to take notes. It could be alluring to consider the web materials as pre-written study guides. Making your own notes, however, motivates you to interact with the information and interpret it in your own terms.
When recording a live video, try to stay focused on the action rather than taking notes right away. I hope you can watch the video again at a later time. You are able to pause and take notes throughout a pre-recorded lesson or course.
Contribute
The process of learning is two-way. Participating in the discussion is just as important as attending the online sessions or going over the content. When in doubt, feel free to ask questions and don’t be embarrassed to ask for assistance with the subject matter.
Additionally, you could discover that there are places where you can post queries, such as message boards, forums, and discussion groups. When you can, try to participate in these by reading what others have written or by posing some questions of your own. You are there to learn, after all, therefore you have the right to ask questions if you don’t understand something!
Follow up
Don’t simply forget about your class, lecture, or seminar after it’s over and go on. Spend some time considering the topic you discussed and any questions that were raised in addition to putting up your notes. Before you wrap up your education, be sure you understand the material.
Skills to succeed in online classes
Your soft skills are one of the most important resources that can support your online learning experience. These are the attitudes, behaviors, and character qualities that support you in overcoming obstacles. You can use a variety of these, many of which you may already be familiar with from traditional classroom settings, to assist you succeed in online learning:
Time management
When learning at a distance, procrastination is a constant risk. The real-time instruction of your courses will depend on a number of factors. In either case, your study schedule may not be very clear. It is therefore your responsibility to manage your own time and ensure that you meet deadlines.
Looking over each course’s curriculum is a smart place to start. After that, you may find out when your important dates—like deadlines for assignments and tests—are. To ensure you are prepared, write these down in your calendar or journal. Making daily to-do lists can also help you stay on task and provide you with the gratification of crossing things off as completed.
Organisation
We’ve already discussed the significance of your study regimen. In addition to scheduling your time, you should consider where you will study, how you will do your work, and what kind of setting would work best for you.
You can arrange your efforts in a variety of ways. To-do lists, file systems, and study diaries are all beneficial. In a similar vein, you should ensure that you have all you require for a productive workspace, which we address in more detail below.
Digital skills
Since so much of our lives now happen online, you’re probably already very familiar with the majority of the technology you’ll be utilizing. However, in order to excel in online learning, you must understand how to incorporate some of the fundamental digital skills into your coursework.
Understanding how to use the digital tools and internet resources that your teachers have offered is beneficial. On the other hand, it’s crucial to know how to form connections and create a network of support.
Communication
Collaboration and communication skills are essential when learning online. Since the necessary abilities differ from those taught in the classroom, it is worthwhile to consider them as well. You will be required to collaborate with others on certain assignments in addition to talking about and showing your work to tutors.
It’s critical to recognize your advantages and disadvantages in this area. You can make sure that you comprehend the course material and that others realize your demands and inquiries by honing these skills.
How to focus on online classes
After discussing how to be successful in online learning, let’s look at how to sharpen our attention in virtual classrooms.
Stay motivated
It seems sense that some people are finding it difficult to maintain their daily engagement given how unstable the world appears to be at the moment. Nonetheless, you must maintain your motivation if you want to achieve with online learning.
Your general motivation will be influenced by your daily schedule and time management abilities. Consider adopting a goal-oriented strategy as well. For every course or module, establish your overarching goal and divide it into manageable pieces. From this point on, you can treat yourself whenever you reach your daily, weekly, or monthly mini-goals.
Choose somewhere quiet
Ensure that you have a peaceful place to sit when you settle in to study. Make sure you can confidently participate in live classes without worrying about background noise picking up on your microphone. Comparably, a peaceful place enables you to concentrate on your study materials and provides time for introspection and research.
Organise your space
You should take extra care with your workspace if you want to study for a portion of the time outside of a lab, seminar room, or lecture hall. Here are some pointers for setting up a productive study area:
Keep it neat and tidy
Numerous research have established a connection between attention problems and a cluttered environment. The theory is that your brain cannot process information as quickly when it is faced with a large number of distinct objects to process. This same logic explains why being surrounded by clutter can make us feel disorganized and unfocused.
Maintaining a neat workstation also aids with regularity and organization. You can locate your notes, materials, stationery, etc. with ease because you know where everything is.
Make sure it’s comfortable
For the foreseeable future, at least, you will probably be studying online while seated for a considerable length of time. As a result, you should make sure your area is organized to support your comfort and concentration. Again, stay away from items like your couch and bed here. Look for a chair and desk that provide enough back support. Maintain an erect stance, with your thighs and arms nearly parallel to the ground.
Be mindful of environmental factors such as temperature and lighting. Select a temperature that keeps you working without making you feel chilly or drowsy. Natural light works best.
Remove distractions
A common issue encountered by individuals who are new to learning or working remotely is the abundance of distractions. Games may be installed on your PC, and your phone, tablet, and TV are most likely nearby. Eliminate these distractions if you want to excel in online learning.
Consider shutting off your phone or putting it in a different room. Include time for watching TV or playing video games in your schedule. Additionally, eliminate any programs or websites that you find yourself putting off using tools like website blockers.
Test your equipment
You must ensure that your technology is ready for online learning, regardless of the percentage of your education that takes place there. Get the login credentials for the services you require, download the necessary software and apps, and check your webcam, microphone, and internet connection.
There will inevitably be some technical issues with online learning. You may lessen them and their influence, though, by setting up and testing your setup in advance.
Focus on your health & self care
You must prioritize self-care in your academic endeavors. Maintaining your physical and emotional well-being can help you avoid burnout and continue to be productive.
Online learning might be a little demanding at times. You may become a little sore and overwhelmed if you spend the entire day in front of a computer. In order to prevent this, practicing self-care can be quite beneficial.
Always remember to stand up from your desk and stretch frequently. Every now and then treat yourself to a biscuit or a cup of tea. Finally, remember not to punish yourself if you’re going through a difficult moment. Recognize that support and assistance are there if you need them.
Take breaks
Allow yourself some time to take a break, whether you’re working on a project that requires research or are simply going through the lecture notes. Numerous research concur that people can focus for a maximum of 50 to 90 minutes at a time. Anything above that is going to wear you out and frustrate you.
Consider this information while scheduling your breaks. Schedule both brief and extended breaks during the course of the study day. These might be the ideal moments for a treat, such a brief social media browse or a hot beverage. Try using the Pomodoro technique to divide your day into smaller, more manageable segments.
Practise mindfulness
Being completely aware of both your surroundings and yourself is the practice of mindfulness. It involves setting aside outside distractions for a little while in order to become aware of our feelings at that precise instant. This method can improve your mental health, creativity, and memory while lowering stress and elevating overall wellbeing. These are all necessary for a student to have.
You can read our piece on practicing mindfulness and take advantage of our selection of mindfulness and wellbeing courses. This practical method can benefit you in all facets of your life.
Get enough sleep
Even though most of us are aware of how crucial sleep is to our daily functioning, not everyone gets enough of it. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can be quite beneficial when attempting to excel with online learning. It helps you focus on your workday by lowering stress and increasing productivity.
The desire to take a midday nap when studying from home can be very strong, and it can be a costly error. Rather, attempt to establish a consistent bedtime and ensure that you’re exhausted when you go to sleep. Steer clear of caffeine in the afternoon, cut down on screen time before bed, and get enough of exercise.
Take a look at our science of sleep and dreams course to find out more about how sleep can impact your body and mind as a whole.
You can interact with other students in many online courses, whether they are offered by a university or not. It’s helpful to start a conversation by asking questions in forums or responding to inquiries from other students. You may even form an online study group with other students in your course.
You can communicate with friends and relatives who live elsewhere in a number of methods, including through phone, message, and video chat. Avoid feeling alone and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
Final thoughts
You may learn in a relaxed environment and improve your abilities by taking advantage of online courses. We hope that this post has given you some tips for thriving in online learning, whether you’re wanting to do some autonomous online learning or you’re taking part of your lectures online. Take a look at our study skills courses if you’d want to become more proficient in online studying.
