Posts

ESEPSY-1159 Module 7 – Keys to Motivation for Online Learning

Hi Everyone,

Today I’d like to talk about how to get and stay motivated while you’re taking online courses. Sometimes it can be tough to feel motivated to do anything, and finding that motivation might require you to find different things to motivate you. Sometimes, you just want to get a good grade. Sometimes, you just want to avoid a bad grade. Sometimes, you just need to get stuff done so you can relax! If you’re having trouble getting motivated to complete a task, try thinking about different angles of the task at hand and what it means to you in the short term and the long term. Here’s a couple of methods to get motivated from Time magazine:

https://time.com/2933971/how-to-motivate-yourself-3-steps-backed-by-science/

At the very least, aim to be more motivated than Peter in this clip from Office Space:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgg9byUy-V4

You could also try making sure that your workspace is clean and tidy, and that there are as few distractions as possible. Find some music with no distracting vocals to play quietly in the background, and eliminate online distractions with tools such as Cold Turkey (https://getcoldturkey.com/) and Forest (https://www.forestapp.cc/) to remove those pesky electronic interruptions that it’s so easy to fall prey to.

OK, I’m motivated, now what? Power through and learn EVERYTHING, right? Wrong! Research shows (https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/science/article/pii/S0010027710002994) that taking breaks can actually help you to focus better. Try using one of the suggestions in the link below to remind you to take breaks every so often while studying:

https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-apps-to-help-remind-you-to-take-a-break/

And here are a few suggestions for things to try while you’re taking those breaks:

https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/energizing-study-break-ideas-what-to-avoid

Good luck, and have fun staying motivated!

ESEPSY-1159 Module 6 – Searching and Researching: The Foundations of Academic Writing

Hi Everyone,

Today I’d like to talk about how to research a topic, and then write about it in a professional manner. It seems like it should be easy to research a topic, right? You can just search on Google and the answers are there at your fingertips:

https://youtu.be/R8bC-hWUCDw

While Google is extremely good at finding the factual answer to a simple question (searching), it’s not very good at answering an open-ended question that doesn’t have a simple answer (researching). Check out this article by Marc Prensky for another description of the difference:

http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-Search_vs_Research-01.pdf

Of course that’s not to say that Google isn’t a good starting point. A well-written search can give you plenty of places to start researching a topic. Boolean logic can dramatically improve your results from a search and give you many more appropriate places to start looking. For a quick overview of the possible ways to use Boolean logic in your searches, here’s a help article from Google themselves:

https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433?hl=en

It’s also worth mentioning Wikipedia at this point, since there’s a good chance that was your second thought for a place to go and get information. While Wikipedia *itself* isn’t always a great source, the cited sources *in* an article can often be a treasure trove of useful information. Here’s a link going into more detail about Wikipedia and how it can be useful for research (with care):

https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2007/6/eli7026-pdf.pdf

So now that we have a few leads and sources, how do we tell whether they will be of any use? To be credible, a source should be reliable, of good quality, and useful to the topic you’re researching. Ask yourself a couple of questions about the source:

  • – Is it written by people that should be knowledgeable about the topic? Are they writing in a reputable source?
  • – Is there specific, consistent, and verifiable information? Did the authors cite their sources?
  • – Is this information relevant and appropriate to my research topic?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to all those questions, then there’s a good chance that you have a reliable source on your hands. Congratulations! Now to write the paper. Writing a paper can seem like a pretty overwhelming task, but here’s a guide on how to break down the steps and make it a little easier to tackle:

https://umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning/media/Writing_an_Academic_Paper_NEW.pdf

For a couple of comprehensive guides into how to research, and how to write an academic or research paper, try the Open Source book from the Ohio State University Libraries “Choosing and Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research”, and the Purdue Online Writing Lab:

https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/choosingsources/

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html

Good luck, and have fun researching!

 

ESEPSY-1159 Module 5 – Web-Enhanced Listening and Viewing Strategies

Hi All,
Today I wanted to follow on from last week’s tips on using the web for reading and study, and add some advice on using the web to improve your listening and viewing as well. It’s not always easy to keep up with a lecture and take notes at the same time. Check out this video showing the importance of taking good notes:
The first thing to do is make sure you’re prepared to take notes, either on paper or on a computer. Research has shown (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797616677314) that using a laptop in class results on an average of 37 minutes of time spent in class looking at things on the internet that are more interesting than the class seems to be right at that moment. It has also been shown in studies that writing things down can improve your learning of the notes that you take. However, notes that are typed are much easier to index and search through and can be much neater and easier to read, depending on your handwriting and tiredness. It’s up to you to try each approach and see which suits you best. Remember that you don’t have to only use one method for taking notes! It may make more sense have the freedom of a pen and paper in one class, and the neat notes of a computer in another. Here’s a link describing the pros and cons of each method:
Once you have decided how you’re going to write your notes, you need to decide which note-taking method is best for you and for the particular class you’re taking. There are several methods, including mind maps, the Cornell system, and Bullets and Sentences that all have their own pros and cons. Here is a video that outlines several methods of taking notes, and a video that suggests ways to expand on your note-taking and make it less ‘dry’:
Even with all this awesome advice, did you still miss something in the lecture? Don’t be afraid to ask your professor for clarification! A couple of weeks ago we discussed how to email professionally, so you should be practiced by now (hint hint). If you’d rather do your own research, there are a number of useful resources for catching up on concepts from class:
Good luck, and have fun taking notes!

ESEPSY-1159 Module 4 – Web Enhanced Reading and Study Strategies

Hi Everyone,
Today I would like to discuss using the web to improve your reading and studying. Nobody *enjoys* studying for class, but there are many guides and tools to make it more effective and less difficult. For instance, here’s a handy guide that gives advice on how to prepare to read:
Once you’re prepared to read, you have to actually start reading. Shocking, I know! There are a number of ways to improve your reading strategies:
  • Highlight important information. Remember that for highlighting, less is more. Try to make sure that highlighted text is relevant and understandable, without highlighting entire passages. Here’s a useful guide for how to highlight a passage to extract the useful information – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9GrOxhYZdQ&t=363
  • Know how to take notes. As with highlighting, notes should be brief, but not TOO brief. Make sure there’s enough information to actually be useful without just re-writing the passage you’re supposed to be taking notes on! Here’s an example – https://learningcenter.unc.edu/files/2017/07/Annotating-Texts-S17.pdf
The ‘College Success’ open-source textbook also has a lot of useful information on how to read effectively. This information can be found at https://open.lib.umn.edu/collegesuccess/chapter/5-2-how-do-you-read-to-learn/
Of course, there are also helpful tools on the internet. These range from flash cards…:
…to new ways to present information such as infographics, mind maps, or timelines…:
…to places to go look or ask for help:
Good luck, and have fun studying!

ESEPSY-1159 Module 3 – Efficiency in the Digital Age

Hi all,
Today I wanted to discuss efficiency. Efficiency and ‘getting a bunch of stuff done today’ might sound the same, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Check out Lev’s day where he gets a bunch of stuff done but isn’t all that efficient:
If you’re having trouble with procrastination, there are a few ways to try to combat the urge to put things off:
  • Turn off your phone! The group chat will still be there when you’re done working, and you won’t be distracted while you’re trying to finish your assignment.
  • Break big tasks down into little tasks. ‘Write a thesis’ seems pretty insurmountable, but ‘write an introductory paragraph’ is much more achievable and you will feel like you accomplished something if you can check it off your list. 
  • Promise yourself a reward. If you don’t want to do the task in front of you, give yourself a treat once it’s complete. The next episode of a show, a piece of candy, whatever you consider a reward for a job well done. 
Try either of the following links for more tips on beating procrastination.
If time management is what’s causing you problems, first you have to accept that there are only 24 hours in a day no matter how much you might wish there were more. However, there are ways to make the most of those 24 hours:
  • Have a plan. It’s much easier to reach a goal of ‘complete questions 1-8’ than it is to ‘work on my homework’. 
  • Create a calendar. It’s sometimes much easier to visualise what you have to get done today if you are able to, well, visualise it. Even something as simple as coloured blocks on a wall chart can be a good reminder of what you should be doing and how much time you should be spending on doing it.
For more tips on managing your time more effectively, try either of the following links. 
Good luck, and have fun getting stuff done!

ESEPSY-1159 Module 2 – Online Communication and Collaboration

Hi all,

 

Today I wanted to discuss Netiquette, or ‘How to not get your emails deleted immediately by the intended recipient’. Put simply, netiquette is using common courtesy when communicating with others online. It can be a little different from communicating in person, as the only cues your intended recipient has as to your intended meaning are the actual text that you write, and not any of the other things that clue people in to your meaning such as body language or tone of voice.

 

Typically, when communicating professionally online it is best practice to stick to the following tips:

  • Use correct spelling and punctuation. LOL, TTYL, and BRB are fine for text messages to friends, but your professor and classmates might not find it as endearing or may even not know what the acronym you’re using means.
  • Don’t type in ALL CAPITALS. It’s the text equivalent of shouting and can come across as pretty aggressive.
  • Try to stick to the topic at hand. Most people get a lot of communications every day, and you don’t want to lose their attention before you get to the point.

 

For further tips, try either of the links below that go into further detail about sending emails or contributing to discussion boards. Good luck, and have fun communicating effectively and professionally!

 

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2010/09/30/18-etiquette-tips-for-e-mailing-your-professor

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-netiquette