Commit to doing the same thing offline. The convenience of an online education should be complemented by practical experience. Just think about it: if you want to learn how to drive, you don’t do it by reading a book, and being a better cook doesn’t happen by watching a single demonstration. It is very clear that experience matters when you want to learn and master something. Why not work as a volunteer teacher if you’re on an online teaching degree correspondence course, or take a small web design job if you’re enrolled in an online web design program? It’s also an excellent way to bolster that new resume you’re prepping up.

Read beyond what’s assigned. Learning is not really limited by the four-corners of the classroom, neither is it boxed-in by the rigors of the standard, assigned content of an online degree. If you want to make the most of studying online then you need to go beyond what the syllabus provides. There are lots of free online resources out there that you could tap and read; remember, Google is a friend.

Participate in communities, online and offline. Knowledge is best obtained when people are kept in mind. Debating and the exchange of ideas are important ingredients in one’s online education. That is why, aside from using the online collaborative tools that were assigned to you by your online program, you should go out and find communities that would help you grow in your knowledge of the subject. This is a very easy thing to do nowadays because with all the social network sites (think Facebook and Twitter) open to everyone you could make a connection in just an instant. If you can’t find a group, then you could make one that’s more to your taste. You could also try to look for local chapters in your immediate community that study the subject.

Find your local experts. Look for people who are already practicing the craft that you are studying for. Schedule an interview with these people, or ask for a day-tour of the type of work they do. If possible, you could also ask to apprentice under this people or work part-time for them, just so that you could learn more about the subject. For example, if you’re studying mathematics education, you could make the acquaintance of a lecturer in your area, try to observe him while he’s conducting a class, and make interesting lecture notes about the session. There are many things that we could learn from an expert in action and doing so is a great complement to one’s online education.

Get serious about your education. Of course, the most important thing that you could do for your online program is to be serious about it. Make a weekly study schedule and stick to it. Complete every homework assignment and project on time, and try to get extra credit as much as possible. Actively participate in the online discussions of your class. Finishing the program is not just about getting a degree – it’s about acquiring knowledge for your future practice.

Here are just some suggestions that you could do to maximize your online education, but of course, there are many more out there. Be sure to add your online education tips in the comments, we’d like to hear from you!

Distance Learning Program Study Group Chatroom Rules

Chatting with friends is different to a live group chat session with other online students so it is important that you follow a few basic rules. Most chatrooms have a live chat etiquette guide for you to follow. Your distance learning program study school should have chat room rules posted, if not ask your online teacher for a copy.

Even without a copy of the chatroom rules, basic etiquette for an online study program live chat is pretty much the same as what you would do when learning in the classroom. So do not cut others short while they are still “talking”, pay attention to your online teacher, stick to your topic of discussion and use language appropriate for learning in the classroom, offline and online.

Prepare For Live Chat With Online Learning Students And Teachers

A live group chat with other online learning students and/or the teacher of your distance learning program study course requires preparation. It is unlikely that you will be chatting about nothing specific because the purpose of the live chat is to interact with other online students and discuss the course and topics, much the same way as learning in the classroom. You do not have to have everything memorized but a working knowledge of your online study program course material and the topic to be discussed in the live chat room is essential.

Without adequate preparation for the live group chat, you will have no idea what the other online students or the teacher is talking about and will therefore be unable to participate in the discussion.

Tips For Online Program Study Live Chat

An important part of being a good online program study course student is cultivating excellent communication skills. Despite it being a distance learning program study group, you should interact with other online students much the same way you would if you were learning in the classroom. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• If you are on a slow network, you should let other online students and the teacher participating in the online program live chat that your messages might take slightly longer to get relayed.
• Participating in a group live chat with other online students is the same as learning the classroom so give your teacher your full attention and answer questions promptly.
• Distractions are never acceptable in a learning environment so when you are participating in an online program study live chat session, keep all other distractions at bay. Avoid checking your email and Facebook and do not log in to other instant messengers to chat with friends at the same time. Your online program study group live chat deserves your full attention.
• Be patient and let other online students make their point. If your online teacher is taking long to type, they probably have a lot to discuss in this online study program chat room, so give them time. You can make notes while waiting for others to type, just the way you would if you were learning the classroom.
• Always be on time for an online study program live chat. Consider it the same as being on time for a lecture in school or college. Most online class live chats are recorded so even if you are in a big group of online students, if you enter the online study chat room late, your online teacher will notice.
• If you need homework help and your question to your teacher is not related to your topic of discussion, save it until the group online study program chat is over and ask them in private. It is rude to interrupt a group discussion with an irrelevant question.

Accreditation – the recognition or certification of an institution that has been reviewed and meets specific measures of quality.

Applet – a small program or application that runs on a browser and enables additional features like animation.

Application – a software program that allows a user to perform specific tasks like word processing, email, accounting, database management.

Asynchronous Learning – learning where people are not online at the same time and interaction does not occur without a time delay, allowing people to participate on their schedules. Examples are email, discussion groups, and self-paced courses delivered via Internet or CD-ROM.

Audio Conferencing – voice-only connection between three or more locations.

Bandwidth – the capacity of a communication channel to carry information, the greater the bandwidth, the faster the data transfer. The amount of data sent or received over any given time is limited by bandwidth.

BBS (bulletin board system) – a system maintained by a host computer for posting information, carrying on discussions, uploading and downloading files, chatting, and other online services. BBSs are generally created for a specific group of users and are usually topic-specific.

Blended learning – an increasing popular combination of online and in-person learning activities.

Blog (Weblog) – a public web site where users post informal journals of their thoughts, comments, and philosophies, updated frequently and normally reflecting the views of the blog’s creator.

Browser – software for interacting with, accessing, and viewing information on the Internet or created in HTML. Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator are the two most widely used browsers.

CBT (Computer-Based Training) – training conducted using a computer, often used when referring to education or training presented while a computer is not connected to a network.

CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) – an electronic data storage medium that uses optical technology for storing and playing back audio, video, text, and other information in digital form.

Certification - a valued credential awarded in several fields that proves competency upon satisfactory demonstration of particular knowledge and skills.

Chat – an online, real-time interactive communication method using text to send and receive instant messages.

Courseware – educational software that delivers course material and instruction via computer.

Delivery - the method of getting information to the user via Internet, CD-ROM, books, instructors, and other mediums.

Digital – a discrete electronic signal used for storing and transferring data. The non-continuous nature of digital signals makes it relatively easy to store, manipulate, and transfer data. Digital signals are transmitted faster than analog signals.

Discussion Forums – a place where people can exchange messages of common interest Distance Education education designed for delivery where students and instructors not in the same location.

Distance learning – often used synonymously with Distance Education; distinct as an outcome of Distance Education.

Distributed learning – often used synonymously with Distance Learning; it is distinct in that it is the outcome of education that combines a blend of online and traditional delivery methods.

Download - a file transfer from one computer to yours.

DVD (digital versatile disk) – an electronic data storage medium that uses optical technology for storing and playing back audio, video, text, and other information in digital form, but with far greater capacity than CDs.

E-Learning – learning that is accomplished over the Internet, a computer network, via CD-ROM, interactive TV, or satellite broadcast.

Email – short for electronic mail; primarily text messages sent between two computers.

Facilitator – an instructor who assists, directs, and stimulates the learning during an online course.

FTP (file transfer protocol) – an Internet protocol for transferring files between two computers. Most browsers incorporate FTP software to download and upload files.

GUI (graphical user interface) – a computer interface that presents information in a user-friendly way using pictures and icons.

Hypertext – highlighted text in a web page that links the user to additional related information.

ILT (Instructor-led Training) – delivery of a course in a traditional classroom setting wherein an instructor guides a group of learners.

Instructional Designer – the person who develops the methodology and delivery systems for presenting the course content.

Interactive – multimedia allows two-way interaction with multimedia course material, another computer, or another user with direct response to the input, as opposed to one-way communication from TV, video, and other non-responsive media. Interactive attributes commonly include data or text entry, mouse input, touch screens, voice commands, video capture, and real-time interaction.

Internet – the global network of regional and local computer network.

Knowledge Management – the collection, organization, analysis, and sharing of information held by workers and groups within an organization.

LAN (local area network) – a group of networked computers in relative proximity to one another that allows users to communicate and share information and other devices such as file servers, printers, and modems.

Link – hypertext that is usually underlined to indicate a pointer to additional related information.

Listserv – an automatic email service that users subscribe to in order to receive future mailings, users must be a member of the list to receive mail, and can choose to unsubscribe at any time.

Multicasting – an audio, video, email, or application broadcast over the web, from one computer to many.

Multimedia – the combination of text, graphics, audio, colours to create used to present information in an engaging and dynamic way.

Netiquette – etiquette on the Internet which is best used when sending email, chatting, posting messages, and using limited resources.

Network – a group of computers and peripheral devices (like printers and modems) connected to allow users to communicate and share information and resources.

Newsgroup – an information exchange forum where notes about a particular topic are posted and shared.

Online – being connected to the Internet or another computer.

Online learning – an umbrella term used to describe any education or training that occurs online.

Plug-in – software programs that enhance your browser and allow it to perform additional tasks such as playing audio, displaying video, and viewing documents as an integrated function of the browser.

Real-time communication – communication with little or no delay.

Rich content – high quality course or web page material, often presented using advanced or sophisticated design techniques employed to emphasize the message or learning.

Self-paced learning – learning that is done asynchronously, such as from CD-ROM or over the Internet without an instructor, where the user controls the flow of course material.

Software – computer programming code that provides a computer with instructions to perform specific tasks; a program or application.

Streaming – a technique where media (audio, video, or both) are downloaded to the user’s computer in a continuous stream and played upon arrival.

Synchronous learning – learning where people are online at the same time and interaction occurs without a time delay (real-time) and which requires them to attend at specific times.

Teleconferencing - video or audio conferences conducted over telecommunications channels such as telephone lines, local area networks, and the Internet.

24/7 – 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Refers to availability of a service, product, person, or information.

Upload – a file transfer from your computer to another.

User interface – the components of a computer system that the operator uses to interact with the computer – the screen display, keyboard, mouse, touch controls, etc.

Video Conferencing – live video and audio communication between three or more locations.

Virtual - not physical.

Virtual classroom – the area where students and instructors interact online.

Virtual community – a community on the Internet where people share common interests; an online community.

WBT (web-based training) – education or training delivered over the Internet and accessible using a browser. May incorporate the use of an instructor or facilitator.