{"id":878,"date":"2018-09-25T18:06:56","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T18:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/?p=878"},"modified":"2018-09-25T18:08:49","modified_gmt":"2018-09-25T18:08:49","slug":"how-to-succeed-in-online-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/2018\/09\/25\/how-to-succeed-in-online-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Succeed in Online Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Timing<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Set a time of the week that you\u202fwill\u202flog in to your course and spend one 3-hour \u201cclass\u201d online or two 90-minute classes. Let yourself out early some days.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Know when you shine \u2013 I\u2019m a morning person, so my time was set at 6:00am (yup). Take advantage of the flexible scheduling.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. Get a head start on each week \u2013 once you fall behind it causes unnecessary anxiety trying to catch up.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. Get involved in conversation, but don\u2019t get overwhelmed. Set limits to how long you will be in discussion forums. For example: 30 minutes reading and 45 minus answering. You will see forums with \u201c119 unread posts\u201d \u2013 be selective and stick to the 30 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. Print out the semester\u2019s agenda\/curriculum and post it on your wall near your PC. Cross out completed activities. It\u2019s a mental thing and works wonders.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. If possible, collapse the weekly content folders as you complete them so the workload in the LMS\u202f(i.e. Blackboard)\u202flooks less and less each week.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                \n
              1. Remember: This is your time in front of the computer and everyone will respect that. It\u2019s time well-invested and you\u2019re not being selfish. So, focus on the task at hand.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Group Work<\/strong><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. In group work, reach out early and take initiative. Get at least one synchronous session in to put a face to the name.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                    \n
                  1. Get a study buddy! Ask a fellow student to peer review your work and vice versa. It really helps improve your work, motivates and keeps you on track.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                      \n
                    1. Remember, the teacher understands group work. It\u2019s up to you to complete a group assignment \u2013 just notify the teacher about a member who is not pulling their weight and pick up the slack. Don\u2019t sweat it. It\u2019s a great skill that a good employer will notice and reward.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                        \n
                      1. At the end of your planning sessions review the tasks assigned so that everyone is clear about expectations.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                          \n
                        1. Take 10-minute breaks to stretch and reflect on what you\u2019ve read or contributed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                          Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n

                            \n
                          1. Get your face in your user profile, not your cat or bird or whatever. You will begin to expect the same from others. We will invest more effort always being reminded we are working with people and not just words on a page.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                              \n
                            1. Dress for success \u2013 prepare yourself as you would go to a physical class.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                \n
                              1. Have a comfortable workspace<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                  \n
                                1. Get rid of clutter<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                    \n
                                  1. Get rid of distractions (the PC is a distraction, but leave your cell in another room.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                      \n
                                    1. Have music you like to work with<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                        \n
                                      1. Have natural lighting<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                          \n
                                        1. Let your family know you are studying (so that interruptions are minimal \u2013 and they will bring you snacks and refreshing beverages\u2026bonus!).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                          \u00a0Have adequate technology<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                            \n
                                          1. For synchronous sessions use a headset and mic. Any Logitech is great.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                              \n
                                            1. Don\u2019t read articles or\u00a0eTexts\u00a0on your PC screen, always use a mobile\u00a0eReader\u00a0and make yourself comfortable. My all-time favorites:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                \n
                                              1. Xodo. Nothing beats its power to make notes and highlight and readability.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                  \n
                                                1. For\u00a0ePubs, I recommend\u00a0Prestigio\u00a0or Google Play Books.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                    \n
                                                  1. Learn to use Calibre and convert material to a mobile-friendly\u202fformat. PowerPoints and Word docs are the worst \u2013 convert them to\u00a0ePub\u00a0or PDF.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                      \n
                                                    1. Use technology you\u2019re familiar with to complete assignments to minimize stress and reduce cognitive overload.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                        \n
                                                      1. Try new technologies when you feel up to it. Although they may not be part\u202fof a course \u2013 they can be \u201cunintended outcomes\u201d and excellent resources you can add to your toolbox.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                        Get organized\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                                          \n
                                                        1. Use folders to organize course content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                            \n
                                                          1. Use bookmarks to separate courses and relevant websites<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                              \n
                                                            1. Use to-do lists \u2013 my all-time favorite is\u00a0Wunderlist, which syncs desktop and devices.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                \n
                                                              1. Be clear about expectations. How many posts will give you a 10 in participation? How many words are required?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                Collaboration\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                                                  \n
                                                                1. Learn to write concisely in posts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                    \n
                                                                  1. Be brief in in your posts \u2013 it saves you time and your peers will learn from your example.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                      \n
                                                                    1. Ask long-winded posters to be more concise (typically over 200 words).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                        \n
                                                                      1. You don\u2019t always have to be uber-polite, shake up a conversation. Almost all conversations in my courses were sterile – use tact and proper etiquette of course.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                          \n
                                                                        1. Consider writing your posts on a word document and then cutting as pasting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                           <\/p>\n

                                                                           <\/p>\n

                                                                           <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                                          \u00a0Timing Set a time of the week that you\u202fwill\u202flog in to your course and spend one 3-hour \u201cclass\u201d online or two 90-minute classes. Let yourself out early some days. Know when you shine \u2013 I\u2019m a morning person, so my time was set at 6:00am (yup). Take advantage of the flexible scheduling. Get a head … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":183,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","category-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/183"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=878"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":882,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/878\/revisions\/882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}