After taking multiple online courses throughout college and nearly completing a whole semester of the Keys to Online Success Course offered at Ohio State, below are my three biggest takeaways from the course and what I have found to be true of online learning.

1.) First and foremost, I think an important message to share and spread about online learning is that an online courses is not the easier route nor should it ever be considered settling when completing your education.

2.) Additionally, it is important to stay motivated for online courses. Setting goals for yourself if a good way to achieve this. An online learner, or any learner really, should set both long term and short term goals to stay motivated and track progress. Attached below is the link to Ann Chastain’s SMART goals (2012), a step by step goal setting process. SMART goals are meant to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and defined in a timeframe.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/smart_goals_help_you_achieve_success

3.) Finally, even though online learning is away from traditional classroom setting, collaboration is key to a successful online course and grade. Group projects prove relevant to the workforce and help prepare one for working with others in their chosen profession not every online course will require group projects it is important to know how to collaborate with your online classmates. Know how to reach out to other classmates and make sure to actively participate in discussion posts. Ultimately, collaboration and participation will help you as a learner understand the material better and get ideas from fellow classmates posts and questions.

Below are some learning strategies for online learners that I believe to be valuable when taking an online course.

1.) Create a good learning environment to complete online assignments and coursework. This is important as you are away from the traditional classroom setting, so you need to create a study spot of your own to mimic that same distraction free setting. Good environments can be your office, a desk at home, the local library, or even Starbucks. Anywhere that allows you to focus without distraction can be your study spot.

2.) Make sure to dedicate specific time for online classes. While online courses are great in that they are flexible and easier to work into your schedule, they do require time of their own. One should avoid multitasking when completing online assignment. Creating a planner for yourself or having specific days that you have blocked off for online courses ensures you do not put the coursework off. See post about Trello – the everything planner for an example of an effective online planner.

3.) Partake in active learning or active note taking when reading online material. Active learning includes being engaged and attentive to a lecture or video even though the material is online. Active note taking includes writing down important or key information from a reading or lecture. Make sure to write down notes in your own words to ensure you understand the material. Some efficient active note taking skills include using abbreviations, making an outline, or using the Cornell method. Video below explains how to use the Cornell method

An important part of being successful in an online course is being organized. Trello is an online tool that helps with collaboration and organization of different projects or tasks into different boards and lists. I found Trello to be a very good resource that is simple to navigate and helpful with creating a schedule. This tool allows you keep track of all your assignments and progress of coursework or projects. Additionally, the labels are useful for distinguishing between classes, work, and one’s personal to do list. You can make your planner public and collaborate with others. I genuinely think it would be a good idea to use Trello as a tool to keep both oneself and group members in check with assignments. Below is an example of a week I had planned out using the tool Trello.

Here is the link to create your very own account for free!

https://trello.com/en-US