Overall the course has covered an ample amount of content regarding how to best learn from internet sources. The skills that were learned in the course are basically essential for the modern day college student to have because so many courses require that assignments are completed using online resources. I think the majority of the information on web based services that can help you with school was not necessarily required information as far as online learning strategies, however I do think the web based sources and programs mentioned throughout the course are good tools to know about in the back of your head, so that if you may need a little something extra it is available to you. I have learned many helpful things from the course such as how to properly search. Searching the web is something that I personally do at least a few times every day, so by using certain keywords and search strategies as far as picking promising links I was able to decrease the amount of time I spent searching on the internet and find the information that I want quicker. I thought the part about  netiquette was very helpful. It mostly just means be nice to other people on the internet, but you do not want to offend the wrong person on the internet and I learned to keep in mind that it is very easy for a message online to be interpreted the wrong way. During taking this class I also learned tips about taking notes. I learned the main thing with notes is to be organized this can be helped by doing things like having one word document for all your class notes that way its easy to re-access or using a method like the cornell note taking method. I learned the difference between online reading and reading a book, which I did not previously know all the differences that make online reading vary from regular reading and why must be approached a different way  in order to retain the most information. I thought arguably the most helpful content in the modules was the sites it mentioned that are used by students everywhere for certain tasks. Some of the most helpful ones I noticed that were mentioned include youtube.com, mind maps, google.com, and the purdue writing help site. One thing I have learned about myself throughout the course is that I am not a very productive online learner and get easily distracted by other sites. After noticing this about myself I realized I need to get rid of more distractions than the average person and avoid doing small things that lead me away from what I was trying to learn. My most meaningful experience in the course was probably the weekly blogposts. At first I thought they would be a nuisance, but quickly found that writing in the blog post came more naturally than writing normally is for school. It also helped me retain the information better because it allows you to recap on all the most important aspects. I will definitely use the things I learned from this class in the future to better manage the time I spend online and refining my study routine until I become as efficient as possible.

Most of the searching and researching you will have to do involves some type of paper. You gather evidence that supports the opinion of your theses and use that information to write a scholarly document. In order to write a good academic paper it is key that you take your time when researching because some of the best evidence for you can be hard to find. Here are a few tips to help write your research paper: First you will probably be given a lot of time to finish the assignment, but you must not delay until the last few days or your paper will be severely lacking support, Second do not let anxiety over the paper get the best of you because everyone had to learn how to write a research paper before, and last but not least Keep your paper well organized, so the reader understands how the sources you pull information from reinforce your theses statement. It is also very important that your sources are credible based on reliability, quality, and utility. The quality of the source is dependent on several things such as whether the paper was biased, consistent, and cited sources. The utility aspect means that the sources have to actually be appropriate and related to your topic instead of contradicting your opinion. Keep in mind wikipedia is not a very credible source as it is user generated, however all wiki sources can be a quick way to gain valuable information. Searching and researching are very different things make sure you know how to do real research when trying to collect information. There are many ways to search and each way has its own pros and cons. You can keyword search, category search or metasearch. Using Boolean logic you may be able to better find results you want. There are many web based programs that can help you find scholarly articles such as Google Scholar or University libraries which will prove vital later. Bibliography and citation are a very important part of using researched information and should not be overlooked or it could cost you.

When going to class have the content or slides you are about to go over ready on your laptop or on a separate sheet of paper and bring it to class. As you go through the slides take notes on each one individually. Using a template could help you with your organization of notes as many people such as myself just put content on pages randomly which can be counterproductive. Be proactive when in lectures or taking notes from an online video. Podcasts can help you gain info on a subject while accomplishing other tasks. Online lectures can be stressful and hard to learn from if you do not come with certain expectations or are not in a proper environment to do so, so going to the library for these may be beneficial. Do not be intimidated as online instructional videos can be extremely helpful and provide benefits that may not have been as clear as before such as, they provide a different angle on the subject at hand and appeal to more auditory and visual learning preferences.

Khan Academy is a very useful youtube video channel that provides walkthroughs on certain topics regarding math and sciences. In the video embedded Khan academy explains how to solve a simple physics problem of calculating average velocity. In each slide he carefully writes out each step and then shows you how to do the math part of the problem separately.

The video enhances your ability to learn the topic in a number of ways. The first one being the fact that you can rewind and review certain topics with ease in opposition to asking a teacher and feeling like you are wasting someones time as mentioned by khan himself in one of his ted talks. Another way the video enhances your learning ability is the fact that each step of the problem is done at a certain point in the video so its easier to follow and not as sporatic as a lecture would be.

In order to be a good online reader you must do certain things that you might not do when reading a leisurely article or a book. You must first be prepared to read several pages if required and remove all distractions from your environment. First get a good idea of what you are looking for when reading and while you are reading take notes of the main points because you will most likely need this information later on. Try to think about what was read shortly after reading it to better retain the info. There are lots of differences between online reading and normal reading as texts online are generally harder to chronologically graft and retain info because it is mostly all factual and the important things must quickly be isolated from the trivial stuff.

In order to study most efficiently you must study creatively. Try and find what works best for you and use as many useful tools as you can such as helpful websites for studying. Flashcards in google spreadsheets are a very helpful exam studying tool. Study tools work with your brain in a way that they help organize your info to where your brain learns it more naturally by way of dual coding. Use what works best for you but do something more than just memorizing information or you may not retain specific things.

As we move forward into the modern age it is extremely key that we continue to educate ourselves in all forms of communication, so that we may accomplish more together. The main lines of communication are through the internet so it is imperative to practice proper ways to contact other students or faculty in order to collaborate at the highest effeciency.  This includes practicing proper netiquette which essentially means you are being respectful of others as you would if you were talking in real life. When communicating with someone online you should type using correct grammar and puncuation to avoid potential miscommunications. There are many web based applications used to communicate with other students or faculty; the most appropriate and common way is throuh email. It should also be noted that when emailing instructors you should use your osu given email, avoid trivial comments, be sincere and address the instructor appropriately with a formal greeting, introduction, request, and closing. If something unexpected happens you should email your instructor immediately. Another form of communication commonly used at universites are discussion boards. The discussion boards are an effective way for students to not only communicate with their proffesors, but with their classmates as well. These boards can be very helpful because most exhibit frequently asked questions, ,”FAQs”, which contain helpful answers and tips for success within the given class. Blogs are commonly used on the internet for all kinds of purposes and are a more personal form of online communication almost like  and can help emphasize real world perspectives and interactive learning. When doing online group projects it helps alot to get to know your group members and the best way to contact them. From there you can review the assignment, determine who is doing what, and then give each person a part to do. Google docs and wiki pages are also very important sources for information. Most of all do not be afraid to contact someone online because you are scared of their reaction be open to teachers and other students and you will be rewarded.

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