If you are looking for a course to broaden your strategies for taking online courses, ESLTECH 2011 is the perfect course to enroll in.  There are many things to learn in this course, and below I have outlined a few.

1. The importance of time management and task awareness:  Because this source is solely online, it is vital that assignments and their due dates are noted and scheduled.  The task management is very individualized, and it is required that the student learn how to prioritize, manage, and be prepared to complete all assignments.  This class allows for hands-on experience with task management, as you learn more strategies along to way.  There are also several technologies and programs introduced to assist with this, such as Trello.  Trello allows for the creation of detailed lists and boards of things to do, and it allows you to track your progress as you go.  This is a tool that is helpful in this course and one that will be able to be used in other professional and educational experiences.

Trello

2. The ability to collaborate and communicate online:  Before taking this course, I thought it was nearly impossible to collaborate and communicate personally with classmates and the professor of an online course.  This was quickly proven to be a myth as I began the course.  There are several ways in which to interact with the professor and other students.  One of the main ways to interact was through the discussion boards, where we were able to post our thoughts and ideas, while also reading and responding to our classmates’ responses.  There were several forums of communication introduced throughout the course as well, including CarmenConnect.  This online classroom allowed for class-wide discussion, individual group meetings, and office hours with the professor.  This was a way to personally communicate within the class.

CarmenConnect

3. The importance of a conducive learning environment: Throughout this course, the importance and characteristics of a conducive studying and learning environment were highlighted in various ways.  Before taking this course, I would not set myself up well in proper environments to study and complete course work in a way that would allow me to retain information.  With learning proper techniques about creating and choosing a proper environment, I have been able to be more productive and effective in my studies.  Some techniques that have worked for me are being in a quiet area with some background noise, having the TV off, and sitting in a comfortable chair.  Sometimes, I work best in a coffee shop!  More of these things were discussed in the following article:

Introduction to OnlineLearning: A Guide for Students

In his lecture video, How to Get the Most Out of Studying, Dr. Chew presents four common false beliefs about learning.  They are as follows:

• Learning is fast
• Knowledge is composed of isolated facts
• Being good at a subject is an inborn talent
• I’m really good at multitasking

Of these false beliefs, the one that has impacted me the most or the one that I tend to believe the easiest has been that learning is fast. This has effected me and my learning in a number of ways.  I often act in a way that learning is fast. I have made it a habit to study last minute, especially when it comes to studying for larger exams. I tend to memorize information in mass amounts in a short period of time, just to ensure that I will be able to regurgitate all of the required information as fast as I can. This has made an impact on my learning because it makes it very hard, if not impossible, to retain information.  I notice that sometimes, even right when I leave the exam, I have forgotten most of the information. This tactic allows for no personal application, and it most definitely makes my learning less effective.  When I slow down, space out my studying, and believe that those strategies make for more effective learning, I am able to retain more information for longer and become a better learner.

Dr. Chew’s full lecture video can be found at the link below.

How to Get the Most Out of Studying

SMART Goals have changed the way that I view and create goals.  Before I learned about SMART goals, most of my goals were so large and long-term that I often felt overwhelmed, and it was easier to lose motivation to complete them.  I often did not know where to start or how I would get to where I wanted to end.  With creating goals that are SMART, I have been able to see much more success and motivation in my educational life.  Below is a short description of what SMART goals are and how to make them for yourself.

S– Specific: Be as specific as you can, including your purpose and as many details as possible.

M– Measurable: Use numbers, measurements, and exact quantities of the goal.

A– Achievable: Your goal must be realistic; creating a short-term goal may be helpful.

R– Relevant: Create a goal that matters to you or is vital to something important to you.

T– Time-Bound: Determine when exactly you want to achieve your goal by; include a specific time and date when possible.

Attached is a link to read more information on what SMART goals are, why they are valuable, and how to properly create them.

SMART Goals Help you Achieve Success