Techniques to Help e-Learning

e-Learning is doubling yearly. Classes, e-courses, e-books on how-to & what-to appear by the thousands online weekly. In-person seminars & workshops are limited to location & access. e-Learning allows easy access, creation, & international distribution to a whole new world of experiences -- negative & positive.





Avid learners now feel like there's a smorgasbord laid out before them. It’s like having teachers & trainers crowded in to your den. Yet, no sooner do you buy one e-learning material, start reading, & another enticement grabs your attention that is suppose to be even better, even grander. The flow of new material seldom seems to end -- a high percentage poorly written.



Online learning is now starting its climb up the product maturity bell curve. This means that buyer’s dollars are voting, demanding, more well thought-out & written material. As an avid online reader, I let out a deep sigh of relief & look forward for this next wave to occur across the board.



Studying on a computer screen requires different uses of the mind & eyes. Normally they read in a scanning process when browsing the Net. Now, with studying, reading will require more deliberate & careful. This increases material understanding, comprehension, critical evaluation & practical application.



Adults who have been away from educational studying for awhile, will require to review again the scope of skills needed to study again. Ones they learned back in school. For some just thinking about studying again makes them crawl under the bed covers. Those with less break time since their studying days, the skills will return much quicker. If lovely study skills were not previously learned, there will be some struggle or frustration that might be experiences while learning the correct methods & generating new habits. For them it will be like generating a cake from scratch instead from a package mix.



Note taking



Save your printer ink. Don't print out the material, rely on your notes & your memory. Taking ink-created notes is just as important with e-Learning as in any other type of learning environment. Yes, I did recommend using lovely old ink & paper. Note taking isn't just set aside because the learning material is online. Taking handwritten notes is a key element in moving new short-term information in to long-term accessibility.



If you would like to have a checkpoint or a measuring stick on what you're retaining, take note taking to the next level. You will require to preview the material, as mentioned next, then begin reading & taking notes. After this, take a break, return, & then type up your notes. While you're typing add information that you remember from the material or what you have learned from other sources. Add whatever is swirling in your mind. This is best way to measure what you have retained & what is still missing. If there's something in your notes that doesn't make sense, then you will know what you require to reread & start the process again within that smaller scope. You can even ask further in-depth questions (see below).



Preview



Review & scan all the material. If the material is large, scan the entire area, then return to one smaller section at a time & chunk it. Read titles, subheadings, & spend a few extra minutes on any diagrams or memory aids. Look for patterns in the material. If the material is well-written you will always discover one or more patterns. Patterns help mind-visual-understanding associations. Is there a fast summary at the end of each chapter? If yes, read this during your preview. Previewing is important whether the new material feels comfortable or is stretching you.



When previewing follow ideas & major concepts more closely than words. Let titles & heading provide clues & guidance. If the author is playing cutesy with the headings — the title doesn't match the contents--rewrite the headings so that they fit something that can help your memory.



By reading the introductory & concluding paragraphs first, you will also be able to calculate what you're reading pace will require to be, how much time you will require to set aside, & the amount of effort.



Environment



Take special care of your eyes when reading from the computer screen. Take frequent eye breaks by refocusing them on some object far away. If your eyes are bothering you, there are special computer reading eye drops available. If you wear bifocals, ask your eye doctor or the lens manufacturer to raise the starting line to accommodate computer use. This will also stop neck strain caused by the slight movement of up & down to align the bifocal line so that you can read the screen. Bless the doctor who told me about this. This modification removed the neck pain since.



Don't slouch. Frequently it's easy to lower shoulders & neck. This occurs most often when the monitor is not at the ideal position -- eye level. This also adds tension to the neck & shoulders resulting in muscle cramping. If you tilt the screen up, at a higher angle, where the screen’s center points toward your nose, you will reduce tension & cramping.



Pace



they tend to assume that our reading pace remains the same for Net browsing & for e-Learning. Not true. e-Learning requires the same flexibility as if you're reading a book. The pace depends on reading skills, type of material, & the quality of its presentation. Allow your pace to alter depending on the information. Let go of comparing how long it takes when you read it in printed form vs. online form. Allow flexibility in study time until you learn to gage the material with your own level.



Questions



Allow your inquisitiveness to be open while studying. Record questions that appear within your thoughts. A great way to expand or answer the query is to write the query on the top of a blank page. Set a timer for 7 to 10 minutes & write hasty anything that shows up. At the end of the writing, write a summary sentence or one of what you wrote.



Did your free write answer the query? If not, you may require to continue through a few more timed exercises. Or let it go for the moment, return to your studying, & add it to your research list. Free writing is always a great way to access deeper meaning being stored in your subconscious.






The most important key to any type of learning is to find your own rhythm & stride & have fun with the whole process. Retention is best absorbed while relaxed, open & curious.