E-Learning Made Easy: A Student’S Guide About Studying Online

By Mary Reggie

E-Learning Made Easy is the best book for students who enroll themselves on face-to-face, online, blended, or ODL programmes. It will be your companion throughout your studies, irrespective of whether you have already joined a course or if you are about to make a decision to commence your studies. Education has evolved phenomenally, and you need to know how to take advantage of technology in this academic world. The book not only focuses on strategies for motivation, interaction, and self-management, but it gives great tips on how to complete your studies successfully by understanding what is expected from online programs. The author discusses issues and directs adult learners. Some of the areas covered are challenges that you face; how to get started; enhancing your ability to learn; useful search engines and links; about audios, videos, and webinars; and examination survival skills. Passing exams is not always about working hard but about working smart and doing what is needed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Apr 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781482828252

Mary Reggie

Mary Reggie has been in the field of education for more than thirty years, having taught and facilitated in classroom-based, blended, and ODL programs. Her experience from classroom to boardroom has given her an edge to be familiar with teaching, coaching, and training in curriculum design, program delivery, and education pedagogy for students and faculty.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 Mary Reggie. All rights reserved.

ISBN

978-1-4828-2825-2 (e)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

03/26/2015

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CONTENTS

The Power of Knowledge

An Introduction to Online Studies

E-Learning and Distance Learning

Challenges for Studying Online

What Changes Can You Expect?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you Get Started

How Does It Work

Forums

Self-Discipline

What Type of Learner are You?

Enhancing Your Ability to Learn

Managing your Deadlines

Career Advancement

Examinations and Assessments

Quality Assurance

Research

Internet Search

Useful Links

Videos, Audios and Webinars

Survival Tips

Your Decision to Study online

This book is dedicated to my sons Andrew and Edward for their unwavering love and affection

Special appreciation goes to Wawasan Open University, Malaysia

for providing the images used in this book.

ABSTRACT

Online education has been particularly booming over the past decade and this phenomenon has seen a great deal of debate bringing about something new and interesting that is happening in the field of education. Believe it or not, the area which is new is merely the venue for education and not the education itself. The courses that universities have always offered were meant to put people in seats efficiently so that fewer faculties could teach more students. Online education is simply an extension of that model. Arguments can be made on how this on line lecture-based model is better than the traditional classroom model and arguments can be made about how it is worse than the old one.

The decision to study online is dependent on three very important factors which are the ease of access, the design and the mechanics of how to use the system. If one can access the learning portal from wherever they are, or there is a continuous need to use the portal and if it has an interesting interface, then eLearning becomes a choice that a learner would like to opt for. ‘E-learning’ is defined as teaching and learning that is delivered, supported and enhanced through the use of digital technologies and media. E-learning includes in its system, learning which may incorporate face-to-face, distance or blended delivery models.

In this book you will learn about the fundamentals of online education. As you may be making that resilient decision of pursuing your studies using this new sensation of methodology, you have doubts which need to be cleared. The emphasis of this book will be on planning and application. You will explore online learning pedagogy, course web tools, online assessments, managing an online class, web support and different types of learning management systems that have been adopted by universities to help learners succeed in what some consider, a lonely journey.

THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE

Why Is Education Important In Our Lives?

Why Do We Need Knowledge?

Why Do We Need To Train The Human Mind?

It is very easy to explain the importance of education. No human being is able to survive without it. It is only by the means of education that one’s potential can be used to the maximum extent. Education tells men how to think, how to work properly and how to make decisions. It is through education that one can make a separate identity. Education is most important in life, just like our basic needs: food, clothes and shelter. It started from the time we first went to school. We made new friends, exchanged ideas and shared our experiences. We started learning from those times. Then we interacted with teachers and were able to pose questions and the learning process went to the next level. With further development, we were all faced with the sense of competition, desire and other such emotions and feelings. We also learnt to control these emotions and feelings.

Knowledge

Education is one of the important factors which formulate the persona of a person. It is a productive and beneficial factor in a person’s life. It is everyone’s right to get an education. Imagine being in the company of professionals (those in the same industry as you) and not being able to have a conversation. This would make you feel awkward. Similarly where ever you go, you are bound to meet people whom you have to impress, and it is in these moments that you will feel incompetent when you cannot fit into the conversation. It can be as simple as current affairs or world-wide breaking news or just about the new CEO who has been appointed for one of your business units. Without knowledge, you might as well have your mouthful of food in order to avoid saying something that does not make sense!

Training the Human Mind

The training of a human mind is not complete without education. It is only because of education that a man is able to receive information from the external humanity, to notify him with past and receive all essential information concerning the present.

We may be highly educated but if we are without meaningful combination of thoughts and feelings, our lives are incomplete. Education develops a meaningful outlook on life. Education is not just a matter of training the mind. Training makes for efficiency, but it does not bring about completeness. Knowledge and efficiency which are necessary are brought about by education.

AN INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE STUDIES

When Did The Concept Of Studying From A Distance Start?

Why Opt For Online Studies?

What Are You Expected To Do Via Such Studies?

Believe it or not, it was in the early 1700’s that the very first distance learning schools were founded to offer correspondence courses. As there was no World Wide Web back on those days, students learned from little pamphlets and textbooks that were sent from the college through the Postal Service. There were not many tests involved and students were given the freedom to study at their own pace. I remember having been on one of those courses myself in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Learning material arrived by post and once the lesson plan was completed, the work was mailed back and the college would send the next one. It seemed easy but it was a wait for the next lesson to arrive. Moreover in those days, we never felt rushed to do any task.

Some others even had on-site instructors that could be contacted through the mail if any questions happened to arise, they would generally take weeks or even months for a student to get a simple question answered! That’s snail mail!

E-Learning services have evolved since computers were first used in education. It started with powerpoint slides being made available to students in class, then through a course website or a learning management system. Students were required to bring laptops to class and use them as part of the face-to-face class. This reduced classroom time, though it was not eliminated. Students were getting used to reviewing material that they had saved on to their laptops. Once this technology and independent study became successful, learning evolved and ‘blended learning’ came into existence.

Online education may be a choice for you to continue your studies as you see yourself lagging back on that qualification you always wanted. For some it is a way of upgrading your knowledge using a reliable academic source which comes with a reward of a paper qualification.

Before even discussing how easy it is to study via an online portal, it is important to take a look at what it really is. It has been booming for the past ten years and it is an interesting phenomenon in the education field. Online learning has struggled to find acceptance in academic circles, as the old-school followers could not even think of how someone could study and gain a qualification without going to the university. It was always believed that the university lecturer or professor would be the one with all the information and know how, and now, without that particular individual, it would be near impossible for knowledge to be acquired! Many wondered how students could learn from a distance and be evaluated and graduate. It was thought to be unrealistic.

But everything has evolved over the years and people have educated themselves with this marvel, and it has crept into society and now, received with acceptance and has spread all over