Are you planning to take an online course? It is an excellent choice but first, make sure you are ready for it. There are specific skills which are a must-have for an online learner. If you think proficiency in computers and internet is the only skill you need to master e-learning, then you are mistaken. There is much more to this field than this. Just knowing about your e-learning software and creating learning objectives will not make you a pro. You will have to learn many more skills before you start the course.
Here are some skills you need to know if you want to master e-learning.
– Technical Skills
If you are using e-learning software, then you must know how to use it. You must be familiar with the whole software. You must know how to navigate between the pages, tests, and tabs of your learning course. Some schools teach how to use the software correctly. You must be aware of the software and hardware requirements of the software. Make sure your computer meets those requirements.
– MS Office
While learning through e-learning software, you will be given many assignments and tests. Many assignments demand the use and knowledge of office software which includes MS Excel, MS Word, Google Docs, etc. You can do work processing; make spreadsheets and presentations which will be helpful for your assignments. You must create learning objectives before starting the course. MS Word will be used the most as all the assignments and notes will be made using this application.
– Multimedia Skills
If you are using e-learning software, you must have seen audio and visuals all the time. It is a part of your online classroom. Making videos, designing websites or making animations can be a part of your course. It all depends on which course are you taking. Therefore, you must be familiar with these concepts. You can learn these skills online easily from YouTube.
– Internet Skills
You must have good research skills if you are planning to take a course online. You should know best and easiest way to do research. Your research must be effective and short. For this, you will have to enhance your internet skills. It is not about searching the term, but you will have to use relevant keywords to broaden your research. Wikipedia is not an option for this, and it will not do in this case.
– Learning Environment
Make sure you are familiar with your virtual learning environment. You will be provided with the login and password that will help you in accessing the system. Blended learning helps you in various ways only if we are familiar with our digital environment.
Before starting the course, go through the software and learn the basic things about the software. You must know how to download or upload files, posting discussion results, viewing presentations and sending the mails using school email.
You must know how to troubleshoot the software. With the advancement in the technology to make our life easier, problems and bugs do occur in software. Make sure you know at least how to troubleshoot the problem even if it only about knows about the help option.
– Communication Skills
Communication skills are essential in online learning because you will interact with students online for various discussions. It will leave a good impact on the students and teachers if you have good communication skills and are grammatically strong. You will not be interacting face to face with your teachers so make sure you are clear and concise in delivering your thoughts by message so misunderstanding could occur. Make sure you always proofread what you have written before posting it. Majority of tests online will have short or long answers type question. If you want to score well, your reading and writing should be excellent.
– Self-Discipline Skills
Online learning needs a lot of time management. It is up to you to remember when your class is. It can be at any time. You have to sit in front of your system for quite a large amount of time. For this, you will need patience and self-discipline. Participate in group discussions and submit your assignments on time. Stay organized and be honest with you. Make your schedule ahead of the time and stick to it.
– Good Learning Environment
With having the above skills you also need a good environment so can learn in peace. So, you cannot get distracted. Avoid playing games instead of learning. We all know games can be a major distraction. Right? So, it’s better to uninstall any games you have on your system. Turn off your cell phones and make yourself comfortable before starting the course. Adjust the lighting in your room.
The more you learn the basics of a job in today’s world, the more the chances are that you will get a good job, irrespective of the industry type you work in. One of such skills is improving your writing power, which helps make better your communication. In this regard, online help is the easiest approach to help improve your writing skills. From thousands of websites, order thesis on ThePensters.com which fulfill this need of guiding you to the path of a successful writer.
Now, you know all the skills you will need for your blended learning. Let’s get started with course.