A Guide to Effective Online Learning.
Get the Most Out of Your Online Learning
Adjusting to online methods of learning can be a difficult process. It can take a while to settle down into a new routine and find out how you work best. This short guide to effective online learning will take you through some of the issues that people face when adjusting to online learning and how you can overcome them.
Structure and Balance
One of the most attractive benefits of online learning is the ability to be flexible with your time and learn at your own pace. However, for some learners this can feel daunting and overwhelming as they are used to having a set timetable in place.
To overcome this, it is important to manage your time efficiently. This can be achieved by creating a learning schedule that fits around your routine and personal responsibilities.
When creating your own schedule, it is important to include breaks and only schedule learning time when you will be motivated to learn. For example, don’t schedule learning in the evening if you know you have a particularly busy day ahead as you may feel too tired to fully focus on your learning.
Creating a daily or weekly schedule helps you to learn more effectively as it provides you with routine and balance. By mapping out your goals each day, you can plan to spend a sufficient amount of time on each task and avoid burnout from overworking.
Space to Learn
Creating a comfortable learning space is key to completing effective online learning. Each person will have a different definition of what their ideal learning space is. For some, this may be at a table in a busy coffee shop listening to music. Others may find that they can only learn at their own desk in complete silence. No matter what it may be, it’s important to find your ideal learning environment and try to return to this space every time you sit down to learn. If you are consistent with this, you will gradually begin to associate your physical workspace with a focused headspace. Over time, it will become easier and easier to switch into work mode when you enter your dedicated workspace.
Limit Distraction
When undertaking online learning it can be easy to get distracted. As you are already on your laptop or tablet, it can be extremely easy to switch tabs to ‘quickly’ check your social media – only to find yourself still scrolling 3 hours later! Therefore, it’s important to try and limit your distractions. It’s far better to have a shorter duration of focused study time than an extended period of distracted study. To avoid distraction, turn your phone/laptop to do not disturb if you think you’ll be tempted to check it. If you’re getting distracted by noise, try to move to a quieter space or invest in some noise cancelling headphones.
If you can’t seem to work without getting distracted, this may be a sign that you’re not in the right frame of mind to learn in the first place. If this is the case, take a break, recharge, and return to work when you’re ready.
No Pressure!
It can be easy to beat yourself up if you miss a day from your study schedule or don’t achieve the results that you were hoping for. If you want to learn in the most effective way, it’s important to realise that you won’t always be on top form. Some days, you won’t feel like studying – and that’s okay. Learning isn’t just about taking in information, it’s also about discovering new things about yourself and understanding how you work best. Through making mistakes you learn where you need to focus your attention to improve your skills. This is what makes online learning great, there is no pressure to complete tasks, and you can learn at your own pace.
Following the above guide can help you to have a more rewarding and fulfilling learning experience.
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