Social Sciences

Online Learning

Are You Ready?

Learning through the Internet is now a firmly established element of tertiary education. And it's growing fast. Although many still think of online learning as a form of 'distance' or off-campus education, it is increasingly becoming a component of on-campus courses. So students need a certain set of skills and attitudes to complement the more traditional learning methods.

This learning module is designed to help you: find out if you have the knowledge, skills and learning style necessary for on-line learning; and help you gain whatever of these you need.

The site is divided into the following sections: technical skills and understanding your learning style technology shock glossary of webwords other online learning resources

If a word or phrase is underlined (a 'hot link') you can click on it and it will take you directly to the website mentioned in the text.

Technical skills and understanding

This is designed to let you know what technical skills you need to successfully:
log on: startup understand Curtin's Information Technology (IT) processes and operations set up and use your e- (electronic) mail facility understand and use search engines: possibility one and possibility two conduct basic online searches for information: possibility one and possibility two use basic word processing and related software skills

Special Note: As a Curtin student you should have received a copy of the 'Startup' CD-ROM that contains much of the above information, as well as a good deal of other material that will help you with online learning. http://startup.curtin.edu.au/

Your Learning Style

This is an important element of successful online learning. Various 'learning styles' have been identified by educational researchers. Some students learn best in a visual manner, some prefer written or spoken word, others like to have their hands on their learning materials.

Students likely to adapt most quickly to online learning are independent learners with good technological skills. Students who prefer a teacher-centred centred approach, with considerable face-to-face contact may take a little longer to adapt.

However, online learning has many advantages for all learning styles. These include:
The ability to access course materials at any time and from any location The ability to review online course materials as often as you wish The ability to 'cut and paste' electronic information in ways that suit your learning and study needs

And while online learning differs in many ways from traditional modes, it is possible to include elements of teacher-student interaction and student-student interaction in a 'virtual' version of the real-life classroom. If you would like to find out which learning style best suits you, have a look at this site and take the brief assessment (under the heading 'Hemispheric Inventory').

Technology Shock

Another important consideration is your level of comfort with new technology. Once again, some of us are happier with technology than others. Fear of new technologies is nothing new and can often lead to resistance and an unwillingness to engage with it. If this seems to be your situation you will need to deal with it in order to benefit from online learning. Tell yourself that you are going to put aside your fears and dislikes and give it a go. Assume you are a complete beginner and start from the basics of switching on the computer, launching the software, using the keyboard, mouse and printer. Better still, get some training. The university has various formal and informal methods of teaching students the necessary skills. You will find some help and tutorials at http://startup.curtin.edu.au