Five rules to make the most of your online learning

While the enrolment rates are skyrocketing, not every enrolment turns into a graduate. Not everyone who enrolls for a course completes it. Here are a few tips can be helpful to make their online learning experience a real success.




— Written By Barbara Oakley

It is no surprise that the world of online learning has exploded in recent months, especially in India. Since mid-March, more than 15 million newly registered learners have joined Coursera’s learning platform. That is a 500 per cent increase in registration from the same period last year.

While the enrollment rates are skyrocketing, not everyone turns into a graduate. Not everyone who enrolls for a course completes it. For some, the experience is so new that they tend to struggle to make most of their first-ever online course. No matter how good a learner might be, a few tips can be helpful to make their online learning experience a real success.

Search according to your interests: Go to a good online platform and look for courses that seem interesting and are highly-ranked by learners. Apart from the subject and level being taught, learners should also look at the language used by the instructors, course length, and the university that offers the course. Some websites also offer reviews for the courses. These can help you quickly assess whether a course is worth your while.

Be a fussy shopper: Spend a few minutes or even an hour or two looking through the initial videos and layout of a course you might enroll in. After all, one of the best ways to ensure you finish a course is to make sure you are signing up for a course that is high-quality and fits your interest. This is where reviews from others can serve as a guide to steer you toward high-quality courses from top institutions and instructors before you invest too much time.

Purchase a certificate if you can: Having “skin in the game” will change your attitude toward what you are studying and help motivate you through the learning challenges. For example, on Coursera, the completion rate for paid learners in courses is 50-60 per cent.

Keep an eye out for new courses: Some new courses may have few or no reviews yet. But the subject matter can be so exciting that it can be worth your while to be one of the first pioneers to take the course. Just make sure you leave a fair review to help others.

Do not think about finishing the course! Just think about putting in the time: Good online learners use processes that involve putting a certain daily amount of time into their chosen course. It is best, at least at first, to only do one online course at a time.) Your daily goal is always to put in the time you’ve allotted, whether it’s five minutes or five hours. This means never missing an “X” on your calendar, signifying you’ve done your day’s studies.

— The author is PhD, co-instructor of Coursera’s popular online course, Learning How to Learn

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