Wetland Wednesday
April 1, 2020
As we move into our new social distancing and virtual lifestyle, I thought it might be helpful to offer a few tips on what makes a successful ELearner. We have been working in the online learning arena for over 15 years and have picked up a few things along the way. No matter what class or program you take these tips should help you.
- Learn the technology before you have to use it.
Distance learning requires the use of some pretty sophisticated technology. There is no such thing as just log in and learn. Security settings on your computer may need to be changed to allow you access to the learning resource. Be sure to try out the trial or demo version of any software or system login before you jump into the class or webinar. Oftentimes, you may find you need IT help to bypass firewalls or other company security settings. There is nothing worse for the student or the instructor to find out minutes before the class starts, that a student cannot access their class due to a corporate firewall that is blocking the student.
- Set a specific time to work on your class.
On-demand classes mean that you can work on a class any time you want. That freedom may seem ideal; however, it comes at a price of self-discipline. You must make your coursework a priority. Set a specific time of day to start and stop your class work. Try to keep to that schedule every day or week. You don’t want to rush though the class, so be sure to give your self enough time to absorb the material and work on class assignments. However, don’t over do it. Be sure to take a break every now and again.
- Ask questions!
Your instructors love to hear from you. It makes the class much more personal if you try to develop a dialog with your instructors. There should be a way to contact your instructor directly either through a site messaging board like the one we use or email. A good instructor will get back to you right away. Ideally, the same day or no later than the next business day. If you had not received a response don’t assume, they got your message. Bug them. It is their job to answer your questions so be respectful and ask again. Please give them a day to respond. They are not online all the time. Although, it seems that way sometimes.
- There is no rush.
We want you to complete your coursework in a timely manner. But at the same time, we want to make sure you are learning the material. If a deadline is approaching and you cannot make it, contact your instructor and asks for an extension. It is always better to ask first than for our instructors to have to track you down for missed work. We know many of our students are working professionals with many job and life commitments. Let your instructor know what you are facing, and you will be able to work out a plan to finish in a meaningful way without the rush.
- Keep track of your assignments and time using an alarm
Set up an alert or alarm if you have an assignment or need to take a test. Put it in your online calendar to keep on track. Most courses have internal alert features, but you need to be logged in to see the alert. Using your Google, Outlook or similar calendar as an alert incorporates your daily schedule with your virtual class life. However, be sure to put everything on one calendar. It is almost impossible to keep up with 3 or 4 separate calendars at one time. After all you can only be at one place at one time.
I hope these tips help and please let us know if you have any questions. We love questions!
All the best, Marc