Is online learning going to suit you?

Is online learning going to suit you? What will a successful online student be good at?

Online learning will be just as demanding as learning through the traditional routes, but as well as having the necessary skills and intelligence to complete the academic work, there will be other characteristics, and traits, that you will need to help you on your way. Learning this way will take a little time to adjust to, well it did for me, but since learning by this route, I have not even looked at another.

Be a great self-motivator
Unlike the traditional method of learning, when working remotely there won’t necessarily be someone around to give you the encouragement you need. You need to provide that motivation yourself.

Be organised
All students need to be organised effectively to allow enough time for successful study. But when learning online this is of extra importance as you will be in charge of when your learning is done, and where you keep all the information you are working with.

Be flexible
Online learning by its very nature, of being available at times to suit the students, means it is a very flexible way of learning. But it also means that at times students need to be flexible in their approach to learning, not only in terms of time and effort, but also in terms of method of learning.

Be an excellent communicator through writing
Not only will your work have to be expertly recorded in a written form, but there will also be a lot of written communication necessary when completing an online course. There will be times when you have to demonstrate understanding when only the written word is available, and there will also be times when you have to ask for specific advice.

Be comfortable in your own classroom
Wherever you chose to complete your work, download, or view lectures becomes your classroom. There generally won’t be a room full of people to feel comfortable within, you must feel comfortable on your own.

Be a good manager of distractions
There will be no lecturer around to check that they have still got your attention, you will be in total charge of taking note of what is put in front of you. If you are easily distracted, you need to think if you could manage this effectively against a need to take in virtual lectures under your own supervision.

Be willing to accept the non-tangible
Online learning is completed in a somewhat virtual world, you are learning without actually seeing real people, and real things, in real time. Lecture props will be on screen and within videos, often pre-recorded lectures, and not right there in front of you.

Be willing to ask for help
Some students don’t like asking for help. There are those that will sit in a lecture hoping that someone else will ask the questions that they should really be asking, and they will sometimes get lucky. Via online learning, if YOU don’t understand, YOU need to seek help and the information required until you do.