To be a successful online learner we must establish an understanding of certain key factors involved which are planning, time management, effective communication and effective use of technology. A good understanding of these factors will allow the person to correctly utilize the information bringing him/her closer to the goal. Planning is an essential aspect of a person’s life and developing this skill can contribute not only to an online learning but also applied to off line areas of life.
Being enrolled in a course often requires a student to dedicate some time to completing his/her assignment which requires the student to create an effective study environment. A good place to start would be to eliminate potential distractions that might hinder the attention span of the student which isn’t so great in the first place. Limiting access to your favorite websites might be a good idea as well as giving away your television set to your friends.If you find yourself being tempted to use a cell phone because you are bored remind yourself that boredom is a state of mind and all you need to do is imagine yourself having a good time after your finished.
Taking breaks is an essential part of a stress free learning experience so you might want to step outside and smoke a cigarette or select a healthier option and do some pushups or sit ups. Although time is an illusion we must engage in time management which basically means coordinating your time schedule to suit your needs.Being an online learner and a successful one at that will most likely require great coordination which ultimately bring us to perhaps the least favorite activity and that is assigning how much time we use in a wise way. Since most of us do not necessarily work like the clocks on our kitchen wall and experience what some people call a subjective experience of time we must sometimes remind ourselves that we also exist in an objective universe and that is perhaps the most accurate way of orienting ourselves so that we can work in sync with the rest of the world.
Being the social creatures that we are, we engage in dialogue with other people and find that some dialogues can be more fun than others which bring us to our next factor called effective communication. As we partake in communication it is often beneficial when the parties engaged have a clear understanding of the message they are communicating as well as being able to fully comprehend the messages the other person is communicating. In an online learning experience written communication is the key to success.So making sure that we use proper grammar can guarantee that that the person will have an easier time interpreting your message therefore making that person appreciate you more as a student.
Another key factor that most definitely determines the success of an online learner is his/her ability to use technology in such a way that might save that person time and make it a pleasant experience. For instance if one was to create a special folder for each subject then it might be easier to organize the data which will make it easier locating the documents for future access.
