Article 1 - Learning to learn online

Online learning is the future of education, it is becoming increasingly important to have skills and knowledge in the virtual world. Online learning spaces can be very beneficial to its users due its easy access and flexibility, however there are some challenges. Learning in a virtual space leaves more responsibility to the user, it can result in students losing interest and not engaging in the content. To prevent this, it is crucial that an online learning space encourages users to be active participants, who can assist others in the space and engage with the knowledge shared by their community. When online learners are active and take advantage of the resources available to them, they have a greater level of success with their learning. While engaging with the online community, online users must ensure they use “netiquette”, which is “a set of rules or guidelines for appropriate academic behaviour in an online course.” (Being a successful online teacher, 2015). When people feel as though they are in a safe and supportive environment, they will contribute and become more active in their learning. For online learning to be successful, we need to be supported through a structured development process. Gilly Salmons 5 stage model is a measure of people’s interactivity, “each stage requires participants to master certain technical skills.” (Salmon, G. 2011). I believe for myself, I am at stage 3 (information exchange.) This is due to the fact that I contribute to the online community with my knowledge of the course, while supporting each person’s goals in the community.

Rajpal, S & Das, B & Riaz, A. Online Courses. Retrieved 1 September 2020 from

https://www.edexlive.com/beinspired/2020/may/17/here-are-21-crazy-cool-online-courses-and-how-to-study-them-11974.html