Where someone chooses to study and do schoolwork greatly affects the quality of their work. To produce the best work students should study in a relatively distraction free environment with everything they need readily available. To match up with these values I personally like to do my work in the library on campus. The technological resources, books on reserve, and staff available to answer questions make the library a perfect place. The library is also quiet while there are conference rooms available if I need to speak with a group. Having a consistent internet connection is also critical to completing online work. Anymore this is a baseline requirement of a study space. Being at home is a good option for some students, however for some this can be a breeding ground for distractions and habits procrastination. Avoiding procrastination can also be addressed by visiting the on campus library for me. Because I am on campus often, it is easy to go there to do work between school and work.

Being organized can take many forms. Below are the three I find the most important in my day to day life. Drawn from the Globokar reading in week 3, these ways of keeping organized keep my life running much more smoothly.

• Online/electronic organization
• Physical organization of materials
• Organization of tasks and time

Some Tips:

Keeping files aptly named and saved in organized folders keeps navigation easy. Dating files and electronic notes is a simple way to know which files are the most recent.

Books and note taking materials should be kept together. Physical organization tools such as binders and folders can aid in keeping printed materials accessible and neat.

Prioritizing tasks and managing time is one of the biggest challenges face by self-regulated and online learners. Being prepared and keeping track of weekly activities is a good place to start. From here maintaining a schedule and calendar will make it easier to complete tasks. Important due dates should be acknowledged and noted. Working as regularly as possible on academics is a healthy habit and fitting schoolwork into the free time in one’s schedule will help make sure everything is done. I personally try to do at least one homework item every day between classes, working on it in little chunks.

Globokar Reading

File folders in a filing cabinet

Our week 4 Reading from Watkins centered on how to effectively read online materials. Below are some tips I found useful in my own active reading practices to enhance my e-learning experiences.

1. Defining purpose

The first step to active reading is to identify the purpose of the reading. This creates a solid basis for reading in a way that is conducive to the goal. The different purposes for reading could be comprehension, entertainment, critical understanding, and for practical application according to Watkins.

2. Taking notes

Often times when it comes to learning online the purpose of reading is for comprehension or to understand critically. Taking notes is a huge part of active learning. Writing down questions, main ideas, and key terms helps to not only absorb to the material but to review it. Writing things down after reading is a common strategy students use to embed information in their memories.

3. Reading at varying paces

Watkins suggests a variable pace while reading for academic purposes. Headings of sections should be focussed on. Complicated or confusing sections should be slowed down while outlines and predictable sections can be read faster. Some readings are unnecessarily wordy with main ideas that can be easily extracted. Every word is not always integral to the ideas and this can help speed up reading pace.

Watkins Reading