How to learn online..EFFECTIVELY? (techniques, tools, resources)

The pandemic meant that practically overnight we had to digitize a large part of our lives. In many cases, the educational organisations and teams were completely unprepared for such a change - both in terms of competences and tools. Only every fourth company reports that it went through it without major problems, and practically all of them were forced to change their L&D (Learning and Development) strategy

We coped with the tools better or worse, but I have the impression that we have completely forgotten about how to prepare ourselves and our students for online training. This is very important, because despite the prevailing situation, the world has not stopped and forces us to constantly develop (and look outside the comfort zone :) I often encounter a situation where a company or university tries to "transfer" stationary training to the online world 1 to 1 without using the full potential of e-learning and understand its limitations. Fortunately, experts and research show us how to maximize the effects of our learning and increase the involvement of our training participants.

Let's start with..

the bad news. Placing a book under a pillow, listening to audiobooks while sleeping, or pouring knowledge from a textbook into the head tested in Asian schools has not yet been scientifically proven as an effective method of acquiring knowledge.

Activities related to effective self-development are a process, not a one-time event where we participate in training and collect a certificate. We have to plan it well, reserve time and organize a place. This becomes particularly important when we have to set everything ourselves, and the number of external motivators such as a trainer, group or training room is muuuuch smaller.

In return, however, we get freedom when it comes to the time, place and length of learning, We can personalize our development by selecting training and materials appropriate to our level, experience and interests. Additionally - online certifications have become very important recently and many companies are looking for employees who have completed specialized programs on MOOC platforms such as Coursera, edX, Udacity or Future Learn.

The development process can be divided into 3 main stages:

1. Preparation for learning - rest, relaxation, stress control, motivation, workplace organization, planning, selection of sources and technologies,
2. Learning - learning techniques, rest (again :)
3. Post-training activities - strengthening and consolidating new knowledge

Preparation for learning

Most people do not pay much attention to this element. After all, we live in the "mobile" era, we listen to podcasts, we use educational apps and have access to e-learning platforms from our smartphone. We are technologically ready, unfortunately our brain is quite capricious and requires appropriate conditions for effective work. Otherwise, it doesn't save new information. How to pamper it?

Let's start with… sleep.

This is when our brain processes and preserves new information in our long-term memory. In addition, sleep reduces stress (which in too high concentration can interfere with cognitive processes) and increases concentration (3 in 1!!). Ideally, we should sleep 7-9 hours a day, in a dark, quiet room and avoid electronic devices before falling asleep. It is also very important to prepare our bedroom. As for Valentine's Day / wedding anniversary, it requires a bit of effort;) You can find some practical tips here.

Exercise

We can also reduce the stress I mentioned by doing relaxation exercises, practicing yoga, doing breathing exercises or simply going for a walk. Thanks to this, your mind and body will be prepared to receive a new batch of fresh knowledge.

The right place for learning

When we are relaxed, it's time to find the right place to study. It should be free from distractions - noises, flashing images, moving objects or people (moving and stationary :). For this reason, a favorite coffee shop or a bus on the way home is not the best location. However, what may be the most difficult for many people is ... cut off from their phone, social applications and other time wasters. Let's silence it, block notifications on the computer and close unnecessary windows (also external ones if we have the construction site opposite :)

Study plan

The next item on our preschool list should be the study plan, in which we declare when and what we will learn. Most of the online materials and training courses contain information on the duration, which should make our task easier. Plan realistically. Carrying out a less ambitious plan will be more motivating and less burdensome than trying to keep up with the deadline. Think how much time and when you can spend on learning per week and write it down in the calendar. Just remember to take regular breaks. An exhausted mind won't remember anything. I recommend that you reserve this time in the electronic calendar and set reminders the day before so that nothing surprises us;) There are a lot of applications that will help you manage your time and tasks.

Motivation!

No less important thing that we need at this stage is to ensure adequate motivation - not only to sign up for the training, but also to successfully complete it. This is important because online programs can last up to several months and require us to work hard. The result is that most people start them and never complete. The statistics for the most popular platforms are merciless, although they have recently started to improve. Fortunately, we can count on... Research conducted by leading universities in the world (MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Cornell) They identified three elements that will help us persevere in our decision to develop :) Top 3 are:

1. The planning - determining how we will divide and when we will complete individual elements of the course
2. Responsibility - finding a person who will ... regularly hold us accountable for our progress :)
3. Meeting expectations and relating to our values - emphasizing how completing a course strengthens them.

More information on this subject can be found in the results of the study.

Technologies

The last element that we should pay attention to when learning online are ... technologies :) Before starting learning, it is worth checking whether we meet all the technical requirements, which are often given in the course description. If it is required to install the software, let's do it at the beginning. Remember about headphones with a microphone - they mute the surroundings and make us better understood and (obligatory for technical training) a second monitor. Jumping between browser windows is the last thing we need when focusing on some process.

Learning

Preparations may seem hard and time-consuming, but thanks to them the learning itself will be faster and easier (and it will start to smell like success;). What will help us by learning?

From difficult to simple

Plan your studies so that you can start with more difficult and demanding issues, when the brain is still rested and it is easier for us to concentrate.

Top to bottom (SQ3R)

When you browse through new material that contains a lot of new information, it's very easy to get discouraged. The SQ3R (or SQRRR) method can help, advising you to:

1. first view the text without reading the details,
2. then write down the questions that arose,
3. read the text again (this time carefully), looking for answers to the questions,
4. repeat new information and tell it in your own words,
5. finally review the material, checking if you answered the questions correctly.

Tasks, rewards and breaks

• Plan your training activities and control your plan
• Review the tasks for the next day each evening to prepare your brain
• Break down your goal into small challenges / tasks
• Set yourself some rewards for completing tasks, e.g. a break, watching a series, playing a game. This will give you a break and help your brain change its mode.
• Use the Pomodoro Technique to manage learning time and breaks (4 series of 25 minutes of study and 5 minutes break, followed by a longer 30-minute break) A very simple and effective tool!

Fight procrastination

What is procrastination? I recommend starting with this video (one of my favorite TEDs)

Our brain will always find something more interesting to do than… work :) Phone, movie, meeting with friends, coffee, tea, shopping, internet… there are lots of temptations. Learn in a place that limits them, leave the phone in the other room, turn off the radio, TV, ask your family not to disturb you while you are learning (promise something in return, use gamification;)

Post-training activities

Learning doesn't end with training or lessons. This is just the beginning of the fun :) We still have to make sure that the new information is preserved in our memory.

Spaced repetition

Fixing new knowledge requires repetitions, preferably stretched over time.

• After learning a new topic, repeat the passage in your mind or describe it in your own words, preferably in a place other than where you learned.
• The popular "reading again" doesn't work. Instead, use:

1. Paraphrases - describing issues in your own words
2. Use of stories, metaphors, examples, graphics
3. Tests, tasks, exercises, simulations, role play
4. Discussions, debates, collaboration

• Use different formats and methods. The length of the break between repetitions is also important. Generally, the longer the better, BUT if we exaggerate, we will achieve the opposite effects to the expected. If you want to know more about spaced learning. Then I recommend Will Thalheimer's entries and research.

Trust your learning system

All these advice will make no sense if you don't believe it yourself. The key is to find out that all these rules and restrictions increase the effectiveness of your learning + it will be easier and faster (only benefits! :)

If you would like to learn even more about learning, I recommend these great courses:

How to learn online - a short MOOC that collects practical advice in a very condensed way + provides a lot of tools and templates to help you learn.

Learning how to learn - the most popular MOOC in the world, dealing with the topics of memory, remembering and learning. If you want to know more about your brain, this is a great resource.

You will also fins superb books on this topic in header graphic;)

Good luck!:)

What would you add to this list? What are your ways to learn effectively?

Here is a Polish version of this article: Jak si? skutecznie uczy? online - techniki, narz?dzia, szkolenia