By Althea Need Kaminske

Learning online presents different challenges for students than learning face-to-face in a classroom. Whether you are an older student learning online in your spare time, a university student taking online courses in combination with face-to-face classes, or even a younger (or much younger) student learning online as a safety precaution during quarantine or lockdown, there are some steps you can take to get the most out of online learning. Here are some tips for students, and parents of students, on how to get the most out of online learning.

Online Learning is Still Learning

Even though the classes might look very different, the basic principles of learning still apply. The same study strategies that we recommend for students in general - retrieval practice, spaced practice, interleaving, elaboration, dual coding, and concrete examples - are great ways to study while taking an online class. Learning about how learning works is a great way to start off any semester. 

Parents: We have some tips for how to encourage effective learning strategies here and here.

Time Management 

Time management is important for any coursework, but it is especially important in online learning. One of the most popular models for online instruction is asynchronous teaching. In asynchronous learning, learning materials like pre-recorded lectures, podcasts, or readings are posted and available for you to engage with by a certain date. For example, you may have a video and a short reading that you need to complete before answering discussion questions or completing a worksheet. Asynchronous learning is contrasted with synchronous learning where students engage with the material at the same time. A traditional classroom lecture is a form of synchronous learning because all of the students in the classroom are listening to the same lecture from the teacher at the same time. Online learning can be synchronous as well - if students are all watching the same video stream or attending the same zoom meeting at the same time, then learning is happening synchronously.

One of the advantages of asynchronous learning is that it gives students more flexibility. You can watch the video or do the reading when it is most convenient for you - during a lunch break, at a cafe with internet access, when the family computer is free, after the kids go to bed, etc. While this is a big advantage it is also a big responsibility. It means you have to manage your time and prioritize your learning. Often the type of learning activity you need to do for your class changes from week to week. This means you have to look ahead and plan accordingly.

The easiest and most straightforward advice is to set a schedule and stick to it. At the beginning of the semester, look at your schedule for each class you are taking and see what the workload will be for each class. Then set aside a time each week to work for each class. Not only that, set aside a time each week to review your weekly schedule and make adjustments, probably during the beginning or end of the week. For example, you might make Sunday evening the time you review your week ahead. Maybe you see that one class has a longer video than usual. You have a time that you usually watch lectures for that class, but you might not be able to finish it all during that time. You will need to decide how you will find the time to finish the video.

Here is a post to learn more about time management and here are some resources to help you with time management.

Parents: Time management is hard. It is a skill that many college students struggle with, and something that younger children will find especially challenging. Setting up a consistent routine and schedule for online learners is important for them, but also to help you manage your time at home. Also see this post on the benefits of spaced practice for more recommendations.

Self-Regulation 

Self-regulation is your ability to monitor and control your emotions and behaviors. Students who are better at self-regulation tend to perform better in online classes (1), which means that students who have low self-regulation will find online classes more challenging. However, just because it is more challenging does not mean you can’t be successful. If you know you struggle with self-regulation then you just need to build in some extra safe-guards to make sure you can stay on top of your work.

If you struggle with self-regulation it means that taking time to reflect on your habits and behaviors, and to adjust them, does not come as naturally to you. So you need to find other ways to make it happen. Forming a study group or partnering up with a study-buddy is one way to check-in and reflect on your learning. Whether it’s exchanging emails, texting, talking on the phone, or even setting up video-calls, checking in with other students who are in your class can be really helpful in monitoring your own learning. It gives you the opportunity to ask questions and to see what other people are struggling with.

Some schools may have more formal ways of helping you with your self-regulation. Regular meetings with tutors, academic advisors, or counselors can all be ways to more formally check-in with your learning. If your school or program has these options, take advantage of them!

Parents: Similar to time management, self-regulation is especially challenging for younger children. Checking in with your child and talking with them about what they’re learning and how they’re feeling about it can be really helpful. As they go through their classes they may need to spend more time on some material and less time on other material, but might not have the skill set to make those adjustments themselves.

Metacognition

Metacognition is thinking about thinking - your ability to assess how well you have learned material (2). Both time management and self-regulation depend on your ability to assess your learning and make adjustments to your studying based on those assessments. This post explains metacognition in more detail and offers some recommendations on how to improve your metacognition. The gist is to: 

1. Check your understanding of your reading/lectures by making summaries of them (3). 

2. Practice retrieval of ideas from your learning materials. 

3. Get feedback on your performance - check your answers and ask questions to check your understanding

Parents: You may not be able to answer all of your child’s questions about what they’re learning, but you can encourage them to write summaries, practice retrieval, and check answers. This is another reason to ask about what they are learning. If they can give you a summary of what they are learning then they’re not only summarizing, they are practicing retrieval as well! You can also model what good metacognition looks like by making sure children see you engage in these activities. Explain why it’s important to look up answers, let them see you practice retrieval if you are trying to learn something new, and summarize how your day went as well.

References:

1. Kauffman, H. (2015). A review of predictive factors of student success in and satisfaction with online learning. Research in Learning Technology, 23, 26507 http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.26507

 2. Metcalfe, J. (2009). Metacognitive judgments and control of study. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 159-163.

3. Anderson, M. C., & Thiede, K. W. (2008). Why do delayed summaries improve metacomprehension accuracy? Acta psychologica, 128, 110-118.