10 tips for students v4

Learning to e-Learn: Preparing for online success : 

Learning to e-Learn: Preparing for online success Ryan Watkins George Washington University Washington, DC

Welcome: 

Welcome Ryan Watkins E-learning Student Success

PowerPoint Presentation: 

Learning to e-Learn Most of us have developed valuable study habits for the traditional high school, college, or training classroom. But will they work online?

PowerPoint Presentation: 

The answer is YES and NO e-Learning requires… the adaptation of old study habits, the adoption of new study skills, the development of technical skills, and the integration of all three into effective e-learning strategies.

PowerPoint Presentation: 

What is Learning to e-Learn?

Technical Skills: 

Today most of us are good at… Sending emails Shopping online Downloading music Playing Angry Birds Using Facebook Technical Skills

e-Learning Study Skills: 

e-Learning Study Skills However, what we are often NOT good at … Communicating effectively online Staying organized Comprehending online readings and discussions Applying critical thinking skills online Transferring study skills to online courses Taking notes while reading online Synthesizing information from multiple websites Evaluating online resources Learning in our e-learning courses

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Assess and reflect on your readiness. Assess both your technical skills and study skills. For example, MS Word files into Adobe PDF format For example, taking notes while reading textbooks (highlighters, margins, notebook?) Determine if you are ready to learn from the experience. Find ways that you can improve your e-learning performance before you enter the online classroom.

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Update your study skills. Your study skills from high school and college won’t likely be enough. For example, taking notes during a streaming audio and video presentation Take advantage of the technology. For example, use Dropbox or SugarSync to share files between work and home Practice before classes begin.

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Learning is not a passive activity… and neither is e-learning. Learning requires your active participation. Be an active learner by… taking notes while reading online. participating in all chat or discussion board conversations. managing your study habits. creating online study groups. learning to e-learn.

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Learn to communicate effectively online. Email, text message, chat, video conference, and other technologies change how we communicate. Learn and practice successful strategies for communicating with all of these technologies. For example, compensate for non- verbals For example, avoid jargon, slang, and jokes

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Continually work to improve your writing skills, they are critical in graduate school. Familiarize yourself with APA guidelines for citations and references. Visit http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ Verify that you understand plagiarism. Visit https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/ Remember the basics. Introduction, supporting, closing/transition. Outline before you write. Write first in MS Word, then cut-n-paste into BlackBoard Practice, practice, practice.

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Join teams and carry your weight. Virtual (online) teams are used in many e-learning courses and require a new set of skills. Identifying team roles Setting communication strategies Motivating others Using collaboration tools (for example, Google Docs) Patience, understanding, flexibility Set a schedule for when and how the team will work together. For example, Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:00pm ET on Skype For example, completing a draft three days before the assignment is due

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Create a good study environment. Both your physical (e.g., chair, lighting, noise) study environment and your online (e.g., font size, text messaging turned off, file organization) study environment are critical. Stay organized! Let family and friends know when you are studying. Make sure that you are ready to learn when you e-learn!

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Evaluate online resources. All websites should not be trusted. For example, don’t mistakenly quote theonion.com (a satire newspaper) For example, Wikipedia is just a starting place. Have standard criteria for evaluating online resources before you believe them. Source reliability, information quality, & information Worksheet available at www.ryanrwatkins.com Don’t confuse search for research .

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Manage your time wisely. Successful e-learners are generally more independent, although new technologies are making this less of a necessity. Balance your commitments (work, e-learning, personal, etc.). As things come up, talk with your instructor. Don’t wait until after you miss a deadline! Plan your study times. Know when and how you study best.

Tips for Success: 

Tips for Success Use timesaving technologies. Know your short-cut keys. CRTL + X ALT + Tab Exploit the right-click. Download plug-ins and add-ons. Use phone and/or tablet apps. Know which search engines to use. Use acronyms and emoticons. Watch BlackBoard tutorials, there are lots of tricks to using the system.

Final Thoughts: 

Final Thoughts E-learning can be fun, interactive, engaging, and a wonderful learning experience … But it is up to you. More tips and resources are available in The E-learning Companion: A Student’s Guide to Online Success (available at Amazon.com) Watkins, R. and Corry, M. (2010). E-learning Companion: A student's guide to online success (3rd Ed.). New York: Wadsworth/ Cengage .