Making the Best of Your Online Learning Experience
We have had many colleagues sign up for the ONIP.online workshops, only to find out that they are too busy to participate and complete the workshop.
Studies have shown that it takes a certain amount of self-discipline and motivation
to schedule and manage yourself through a Web-based workshop.
Here are some tips to help you sail through online learning, and get both value and fun out of your experience.
Manage your time
While online learning saves you travel time, and allows you to choose your own schedule, it is still a time-consuming exercise. You need to invest adequate time in order to gain maximum value. Give yourself plenty of time to participate.
- Take time in the beginning to “look around” and make sure that you understand how to navigate the course site. Ask for assistance if you have difficulties finding your way around. Most adults experience a steep learning curve with online education. People who design and conduct online courses know this and are prepared to help.
- Block time for course participation in advance. You will have to complete some tasks and assignments, and to communicate with other participants. Block 15 minutes to half an hour at the beginning, the middle and the end of your day, in order to check what other participants or the facilitator have posted in the course, and to respond as you may like.
- Log in to the course a few times a day, and check for recent activities With the workshops organized by ONIP.online this is a quick way to spot the latest changes and posts made to the course.
- Block time to participate in the online conferences just as you would do for a face-to-face workshop. Notify colleagues that you cannot take phone calls or see clients while you are in the conference.
- Resist the temptation to be side-tracked. If you are getting ready to log in for an online presentation, and a client or a colleague walk in, ask yourself: If I was going to off-site training, would I have stayed behind and miss the training to respond to this person request? If the answer is “No”, then ask the person to come back at a time when you are available. Then join the other learners online.
Participate
Nobody wants to go to training where the instructor does all the talking, and there is no interaction among participants. An online course is not any different.
How can you participate and socialize online? Consider the following:
- Share information about yourself. Fill in your profile. Add pictures of yourself, or just pictures which you like. Provide as much contact information as you are comfortable with. This will make networking with other participants easier.
- Read what other participants have posted in the discussion forums. Take a minute to respond to some of the postings. This is very much like a round table discussion. If one person says something and nobody picks up and responds, there will be no conversation, right? Posting a response is how you make conversation in an online environment.
- Make sure to post answers to all discussion questions. Then check back often to see if other people have commented on your posting. Acknowledge their comments, if only with a sentence. Keep the conversation going.
Make yourself comfortable
It is not unusual for participants to have difficulties figuring out what they need to do in an online course, logging on to Web conferences, or using all options provided by the technology. To make your online experience comfortable...
- Read the “Navigating the workshop site” section of this article.
- Post any technical questions in the “Housekeeping Forum”. Alternatively, give us a buzz if you have any difficulties.
- Always check the technology for online conferences ahead of time. This allows us to deal with any glitches in advance, so that the sessions will be more relaxed and enjoyable for everyone.