You are an experienced learner, you have learned things before, maybe in school, in a training course or through your work. You know what study methods work for you and have the skills to study. Online learning is a bit different from face-to-face learning and lockdown learning.
In the self-paced online learning model, you are in control of your learning schedule. With this flexibility comes the need to create your own deadlines and timeframes.
In the Self-paced learning section of this unit, we discussed completing the Study Planner tool. See example below
Under 'Course Details' in the above Study Planner, you will notice that the information is pre-populated. This gives you general details about the course you are enrolled in. For this scenario, to complete the course by the course end date (72 weeks) you will need to spend an average of 9 hours per week on study. Let's take a look at an example student.
Kaylee is a single mum of a 6-year-old daughter and lives at home with her parents who help support her. Kaylee works Part-Time in an office 3 days a week (Mon-Wed) and now her daughter is at school, she would like to move into a Full-Time position in HR.
- According to the 'My Study Plan' Kaylee has indicated that she plans to spend a total of 12 hours per week on studying, this will therefore will mean she should complete each Module on average every 4 weeks, and the entire course in 57 weeks (see 'Based on your study schedule').
- Kaylee takes advantage of her commute and uses her mobile to study on the way to and from work. Here she focuses on reading her learning materials and doing her learning activities.
- Once her daughter is in bed, Kaylee continues her studies in the evening on a Monday and this is where she dedicates time to completing her assessments.
- On a Tuesday evening, Kaylee attends the weekly webinar to get the most out of her studies.
- Kaylee is focused on making sure she is dedicating the 12 hours per week. When life gets in the way, Kaylee makes sure she makes up the time she has missed and her flexible Study Planner allows her to do this easily.
- It took some time for Kaylee to get into the routine of study and she regularly went back to her Study Planner and adjusted it to suit her needs and find the schedule that worked for her.
- Kaylee also reached out to support to help in creating a plan for her studies.
As part of Unit 1 of this course 'Introduction', you will be required to complete and submit your personalised study plan.
Swinburne Open Education has created the following tips to help you start and maintain pace in your study routines.
-
Get into a routine. You should be able to identify certain times of the day and certain days of the week when conditions will be right for you to put time into your course. This is what goes into your Study Planner. So, set your learning time each week and commit to that time. For part-time study you will need about 15 hours per week. For full-time study, you will need about 30 hours. Studies have shown that it is more effective to study for a short period each day than to sit down for hours in a single marathon session. You learn the information more deeply and retain much more for the long term.
-
Be aware of when you work best and arrange your study time around it. Some people can get off to a great start in the early mornings, others are night owls. If you have kids who monopolise both mornings and evenings, set aside some time in the middle of the day.
-
Turn your study into a habit. Once you have worked out the best time to do it, associate it in your mind with the thing you do just before that. For example, if you plan to study as soon as you get home after dropping the kids at school, then think:
-
Walk in the door
-
Make a cup of coffee
-
Sit at desk and open learning platform
DO NOT check emails, put on the washing, water the garden or clean the car before you sit down. Schedule these for later in the day. The more frequently you follow your habit without deviation, the easier and more automatic it will become.
Another example could be:
-
Catch bus
-
Take a seat
-
Open LMS on iPad
The key is to connect your study with something you already do on a consistent basis. Catching the bus and dropping the kids at school are both ideal. This idea is called habit stacking and you can read more about it in James Clear’s excellent book Atomic Habits.
-
Whatever schedule you construct, you can’t just ‘set and forget’. You also need to set aside a few minutes once a week to review your progress, check what needs to be done in the coming week and consider any special circumstances. This is something that all high achievers do. From CEOs to sports stars, that time on a Sunday night or first thing Monday morning will get things into perspective and prepare you for a successful week ahead.
-
Be flexible if life demands it. Just make up the time at the next opportunity.
-
Take breaks if you have set aside a long period for study. Try using a time-blocking technique, allotting a certain amount of time for each task, and setting a timer to keep yourself accountable
-
To successfully complete your course, you will need to understand the material provided in the learning platform and then satisfactorily complete the assessments for each module.
-
Understanding is more than just reading or going through the material. To understand, you will need to actively engage with the content. This is the process of constructing meaning from text that involves making connections to information, forming examples, and regulating your own learning.
-
This does not mean re- reading information, highlighting text or memorising. A better way to actively engage with the material could include pretending you are the teacher and trying to explain a concept or idea to someone else. Talk to the cat if there is no one else to listen. If you can’t explain it, it means you are missing something. There is a gap in your knowledge. So, study the material again and find out where that gap is.
-
You could also relate the ideas in the learning material to your own circumstances. Try to apply what you are learning to your own experiences.
-
For technical classes, work the problems, explaining the steps and why they work.
-
Remember, each module you study has something to offer for the benefit of your career. Work out what that is and apply it as you learn about it, and you will be gaining benefit from your study long before you even graduate!
-
Be realistic with your goals each week. At the end of the week, check to see whether you have achieved what you set out to do. If you did, could you have done more? If you didn’t, what stopped you? The idea is to find the sweet spot – and it may take a little while to get this right.
-
Find an app that will support you in your study.
-
Minimise distractions. Put your mobile phone on silent. Close unnecessary windows in your browser. Turn off your music if it does not help you to focus. Turn it on if it does!
-
Use lists to help you achieve the tasks you have set yourself. If there is anything on your list that you can’t seem to cross off, this may mean you are procrastinating.
-
Put dates into your calendar for when you plan to submit your assessments and reminders a week or so before.
Sharing your goals?
-
If you need support in your life in order to study, then share your goals with those whose support you will need. According to some scientific studies, there is a case to be made that broadcasting your goals much further than that might actually have a negative effect on your progress. The theory goes like this: we gain satisfaction from completing tasks such as studying and submitting assignments. That’s great. It keeps us motivated to continue. However, we also receive satisfaction from the approval and positive feedback we get from talking about our projects and plans with friends. The problem arises when the satisfaction from talking and sharing becomes enough and we no longer have any motivation to do the work and achieve our goals.
Think of the ‘Big Picture’
-
Sometimes when we are caught up in the details and frustrations of a particular task, it can help to take a step back and think about why we are doing what we are doing. How does this task fit into your bigger goal of completing our course? How does your course fit into your future career? Deep breath!
Connect with others
-
Know who to contact if you need help from us for IT issues, course enrolment or learning support.
-
Use the messaging service/chat for learning-related questions for your trainer.
-
Check out the online forums and weekly Q&A sessions.
-
Find a study buddy in your course – someone who understands the demands, joys and stresses of study.
Give yourself credit
-
Think about your successes so far. Use the skills you have already developed to help you achieve your study goals.
-
Reward yourself when you have achieved a goal.
