What is online learning?
If you are considering an online programme you may have heard some of the myths around online learning but it is important to know that an online degree is every bit as real and as challenging as any other.
What are the benefits?
This not only makes it particularly useful for fitting study into busy lives but means the learning experience can be adapted to suit you. You can move through the courses at your own pace: lectures can be paused, watched multiple times or at different speeds; and topics can be started and worked through when it is convenient to do so. Moreover, the virtual learning environment allows students from around the world to join the programme, making connections with people who think in different ways.
What are the challenges?
Any new experiences brings challenges, and online learning is just the same.
What do students think?
Although it is often described as a new way of learning, online study has become an established and popular part of the way teaching is delivered. The experience of online study has improved over time and many students have told their stories of their experience learning in this way, and some on other programmes have made short videos about their experiences as an online learner and how they make it work:
Day in the Life of an Online Student | Student Vlog – MSc Equine Science
Day in the Life of an Online Student | Student Vlog – MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour
You can read more about how students, including online students, at the University of Edinburgh felt about their experiences studying by readihng their blogs here.
Making online learning work
So much of modern life is online that people are more familiar than they ever were with the virtual space, and online programmes can be a rewarding and very effective way of learning. You are not studying alone and there is help available for new students who are studying online and to develop the skills you need, just as there is for those on campus.
Embrace the experience
Online learning is an opportunity to learn in a way that suits us as individuals, and students can really thrive with a few key attributes to make the most of it:
- Motivation - Online learning is student driven, it is you who oversees the speed and manner that you work through the material. Being motivated to lead this process is important to its success and allows you to recognise the role of each step and to make sure you are keeping on track.
- Effective Communication - Successful online learners ask questions and reach out to their fellow students and programme staff to help improve their understanding and learning. This is important in an online programme when students are using it from different places at different times. You need to be able to ask for help and explain what trouble you are having in a clear and concise way.
- Time Management skills - The flexibility of online learning means it can fit in with personal preferences and busy lives, but it requires organisation and planning to complete tasks and make the most of learning opportunities.
- Persistent - Learning is hard, and new experiences can be challenging regardless of your mode of study. You need to be able to respond and resolve problems to keep going, and seek, and use feedback effectively.
Would you like to know more?
If you want to know more about online learning at the University of Edinburgh there is the Postgraduate Online Learning page you can visit.