Learning online is completely different from the traditional experience of attending live classes on a campus, where your integration with the campus community drives a student mindset. Whether you are taking one online course or enrolled in a completely online program, you will need to adjust your expectations and build healthy and sustainable habits.
The top five things to keep in mind are:
- Setting Goals and Staying Motivated
- Learning online can be harder if you are not self-motivated and persistent, especially if courses are asynchronous or self-paced. You will want to start your preparation early enough that you do not feel overwhelmed when the course starts.
- The first step in staying motivated is enrolling in courses that interest and challenge you. You may not have unlimited flexibility in your class choices, but as much as possible, make sure you are interested in any course you decide to take online. This will make it much more likely for you to maintain good habits throughout your learning experience.
- You also need to determine how you learn best, and in what environments, so you can set yourself up for success. We are not typically taught how to reflect and explore our own learning strategies, so you may want to keep a journal or spend some time thinking about what helps or hinders you the most. Create an environment and a schedule that works well for you, and doesn’t lead to exhaustion and burn out.
- Set realistic goals and check in with yourself at predetermined points throughout the semester (or length of the learning experience).
- Time Management
- Online learning can provide some of the most flexible opportunities in your education. However, too much freedom can lead to procrastination, loss of focus, and falling behind.
- Set up a term calendar for yourself, with all important dates and personal commitments, as soon as you can.
- Keep a practical schedule for your weekly work, with built-in time to take care of yourself, and keep up with your course work. Reflect on this schedule once in a while to see if it is working for you.
- Communication & Engagement
- Engagement in any course is important, but it is especially imperative for success when learning online.
- It is easy to disengage from live classes... turn your camera and mic off, and let the class happen in the background while you do something else. But it really is best for you to fully participate in them, as much as possible. You will get way more out of this experience, and you will thank yourself for it.
- It is even easier to disengage from asynchronous classes! When you do not have a consistent meeting time, you might be inclined to push things off because you “can always do it tomorrow.” But this is really where your weekly and term schedules will come into play. If your class has discussion boards, get active in them. If your peers have online study groups, get involved.
- Keep in contact with your peers, your instructor, and anyone else involved in the class (e.g., GAs and TAs).
- Technical Skills
- There’s no way around it – you will need to learn the software and online systems if you don’t know them already.
- You will need basic skills like creating documents or presentations, but also the ability to effectively navigate the internet and use otherwise unfamiliar tools like a learning management system (e.g., the University of Windsor uses Brightspace), or online meeting platform (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.).
- If you do not know how to use these systems effectively, reach out for help so you don’t get caught up in the technology, and can focus on learning.
- Understanding the system
- Remember that you are not in this alone – there are many individuals and organized groups who can help you along your journey, in addition to the invaluable connections you develop with your classmates. These include faculty, staff, graduate/teaching assistants, tutors, support programs (bounce back), accessibility office, financial aid office, student groups, etc.
The Learning to Learn Online Pressbook, was an OER created by students for students during the beginning of the pandemic, and may be a resource that is helpful for you.