October 28th, 2008 by Learning Systems

Many people go through their lives wondering why they experience great difficulty in school, without having ever learned basis study strategies. Though anyone can learn how to study, engaging in courseware systems or face-to-face workshops, study skills aren’t developed overnight. 

Though there’s no magic formula for successful studying, it’s more than possible to learn how to do it. Studying can be simple, pleasurable and rewarding. Study skill courseware systems stress not only the intellectual grasp of study strategies, but the importance of practice and forming habits. 

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October 28th, 2008 by Learning Systems

For all kinds of students, whether they be children, teenagers, university students, or adults using courseware systems, study skills are a critical body of knowledge. These skills are best developed at a young age. However, elementary school educators often fail to cover study strategies extensively, or even at all. My experience was that educators made small attempts to instill study skills, but not large, comprehensive ones.

In the high-tech pedagogical world, and as more and more schools integrate technology and adopt online courseware systems, educators should be especially conscious of and responsive to students’ study skill levels. As student learning becomes more independent, with courseware systems and other often self-guided learning systems, a firmly-rooted understanding and disciplined practice of study skills become increasingly urgent.

October 28th, 2008 by Learning Systems

Developing a schedule is an essential aspect of managing your time and reserving a chunk of your day for your online courseware. A good, well-planned schedule can help you in all kinds of ways. You’ll keep track of your time and feel more satisfied when you’ve completed the work you need to do. But at its essence, a schedule is meant to save you time. 

Having said that, it’s important to remember that schedules should be created with the premise that they’re flexible. If studying online courseware at 10 pm hasn’t been working out after all–you get sleepy and zone out a bit–change the schedule. It’s meant to keep you from wandering off course, and if you’re doing that anyway while following the schedule, then it’s time to revise it. Online courseware, remember, is designed for your busy life, and you’re in charge.

October 28th, 2008 by Learning Systems

Say you’ve got a list of household chores to do: rake leaves, scrub the kids’ bathroom, dust, call the chimney cleaner. In what order would you typically check them off? To make the rest of the morning’s chores more relaxed, a good strategy is to do the most tedious, difficult or generally undesirable task first. After scrubbing every porcelain and tile nook and cranny in the bathroom, calling the chimney cleaner won’t even feel like a chore.

When checking off a list of online courseware assignments, go with the most challenging first. Maybe it’s part of the online courseware you just haven’t gotten the hang of yet, or don’t fully understand. Procrastination in weak areas can even affect other strong ones, making you less sure about other online courseware work. On the other hand, completing the most daunting assignments first will give you confidence to breeze through the rest. 

October 28th, 2008 by Learning Systems

They say it’s never a good idea to go to bed angry. Part of the reason is that when you’re engaging in an activity as important as sleep, you want to set up the best conditions for good sleep to happen. 

The same goes for successful time management. When making time for online courseware studying, it’s important to consider your emotional state. If you’re tired, distracted, or anxious, your ability to retain information will falter. If you’ve just had a fight with your spouse, for example, take a walk and cool down before trying to concentrate on your online courseware material. 

Of course, sometimes blocking everything out and focusing on something like online courseware is just what the doctor ordered. If you can’t concentrate, however, honor your emotions, be flexible, and tweak your study schedule for the day.

October 27th, 2008 by Learning Systems

Online courseware study habits are in many ways like exercising and eating habits. A healthy approach to exercise is to find ways to move your body throughout the day, rather than remaining stationary but later squeezing in a jog or a trip to the gym. In the same vein, smaller, more frequent meals keep your metabolism stimulated and running smoothly, and help to prevent hunger attacks and consequent overeating.  

When you’re studying online courseware material, a healthy approach is distributed learning, or breaking learning up into small, more frequent study sessions. Just like the metabolism’s response to food, the brain is stimulated by smaller installations of information. Your brain likes to recover and recharge between learning. In the periods between online courseware study sessions, the brain rests and digests learning material. 

October 27th, 2008 by Learning Systems

I’ve written that when choosing online courseware, you should be careful not to overload your schedule by taking on more courses than you have time for. On the same note, it’s wise to set realistic goals for the online courseware you’ve chosen. One mistake people often make is setting goals so high–and often broad and vague–that they’re nearly impossible to achieve. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim for the stars, for the best scores and results. But separating short-term and long-term goals will help you manage your tasks, and understand that great success is the product of a series of small accomplishments. So while setting goals for online courseware, keep in mind your long-term goal, while creating enabling steps to help you reach your desired end.

October 24th, 2008 by Learning Systems

Some people are able to control their workday hours, while others are not. If you have a choice, try to work the same shifts every day. This will help you establish a certain time each day to dedicate to your online courseware. Try to get everything you need to accomplish at work finished before you go home, so that in your quiet studying place, you can devote yourself to your coursework. 

Of course, you probably have a family and friends to consider too. There are only so many hours in a day, and depending on how busy you are, work and your online courseware may take up a good amount of those hours. For this reason, try to take one day a week off. Relax, play tennis, get outside, be with your loved ones. A healthy body is a healthy brain’s best friend.