Before the pandemic that we all know now as COVID-19, there was already an ever-expanding list of companies and organizations which have embraced technology-based solutions to deliver products and services to their customers and clients. This was true of educational institutions as well, especially those which cater to post-secondary students. No one can deny the advantages of digital learning methods and how they deliver optimum results than solely relying on traditional learning methods.
In fact, a survey done by eCampus Ontario revealed that in 2018, there were more than 1.3 million online course registrations, representing 8% of all course registrations and roughly one in five Canadian students are taking at least one online course for credit.
Now, it’s no surprise that since the virus resulted in the closure of schools nationwide, elementary and high schools have followed the example of higher learning Canadian educational institutions and adopted technology to teach students. It does require adjustment on the part of both the teachers and students, but there are ways to maximize learning online. Let’s take a look at those below.
Dress for the part.
Just because you’re learning at home doesn’t mean you can dress in whatever way you want. It’s important to still have a student’s mindset, so dress like you would still go to a class. If you had your morning routine before heading to your classroom before, do your best to keep to this ritual, like eating your favourite cereals or having an energy bar and the like. This will help you keep that student mentality and you’ll be poised to days and days learning.
Set an ideal study space.
Another key to learning online is to keep to an ideal learning environment, so it’s truly important that you give a lot of thought to your study space. Of course, you don’t have to have a study room per se as that isn’t an option for most of us who don’t have the space, but at least choose an area that will provide you the peace and quiet that your studying requires like a quiet nook in the living room or the kitchen. Wherever gives you the least distractions is a good choice.
Remember that silence is golden.
If your instructor requires you to use a digital platform like Google classroom or Zoom, familiarize yourself with its features especially the mute button. This is especially useful when you’re not speaking because it avoids the emission of feedback sounds which could likely happen when there are 30 or 40 people online simultaneously. It also saves you from embarrassment if your mom or dad were to walk in accidentally while you’re having a class session and they’re telling you how your room is a mess or how you left unwashed dishes in the sink.
Interact with your classmates as much as you can.
Learning online isn’t the same as being in a classroom where you can nudge your seatmate when you have a question or when you want to share information. However, learning online doesn’t mean you have to cut off all interaction with your classmates. Connect with them through social media or create a group on apps like What’s App so you can ask each other about homework and clarify items that may have slipped your mind. This will truly help you get a feel of being in a study group even though you are all miles apart.
Keep to a schedule.
Sure, online learning allows more flexibility but this doesn’t mean you can let your schedule go awry. Keep to a normal schedule as much as you can, so this means no studying late at night or no skipping a day of learning to stream Netflix. Take note of your deadlines and plan a course of action on how to complete them accordingly. Of course, this also means giving yourself an ample amount of breaks as needed.
These are uncertain times but we can do our best to make learning a certain thing. Just because COVID-19 happened doesn’t mean we have to stop learning, and with the tips above, you can arm yourself with knowledge that will prepare you for the future.
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