First time eLearner? My 5 top tips

I've seen a lot of posts in the last few weeks offering advice for people who suddenly find themselves working from home. Many of you are also learning from home for the first time, which can be another dramatic change.

We've been working with eLearning delegates since 2007 at ITSM Zone. These tips are based on our learners' feedback as well as my own personal experiences. I've done many different eLearning courses, including my online MBA with Quantic, PADI diver training, RYA Day Skipper training and digital marketing training from the DMI. Some of it's been good, and some of it's been...not so great :-)

Here are my 5 top tips:

1) Create a study plan...and stick to it!

A study plan is critical to online learning. A training course that might be 3 days in a classroom isn’t necessarily a good learning experience if you lock yourself in a room and do 3 days of eLearning because your course is about to expire. That can be a little intense. Instead, look at how long you have to study, look at the deadlines and then break your study down into manageable sections to make a study plan. Knowing when all of your assignments are due until the end of the eLearning course will facilitate your time management. Printing out your plan and ticking things off can be very satisfying too.

2) Take your time and apply what you're learning

Great eLearning courses provide new knowledge and new skills, but they also allow you to take your engagement and use it to push colleagues, customers and company leaders into action.

With eLearning you are not forced to study in a classroom for eight hours, or focused on the exam you know will be happening in a few days. If there is something that you see during your study time that is relevant for your role you can pause your training and start thinking about how you can apply it. Applying what you are learning during your studies is one of the best benefits of eLearning. And the exam? You can take it when you're ready, at a time and place that suits you.

We’re getting feedback from students at the moment that the uncertainty around coronavirus is making them feel less productive and disrupting their ability to study effectively. eLearning is preferable to virtual classroom in this situation, as you can pick it up and put it down when you feel able to. We’re also hearing this is a huge advantage for parents who are combining homeworking and studying with their new role of home school teacher for their children.

3) Create a support group

During your eLearning you can feel a bit isolated if you study on your own. Think about who you can interact with during your training. For example, you can join a LinkedIn group or forum. As well, colleagues, friends and family can be supportive here if you can find a way to communicate what you're learning. For example, our Spotlight on Kanban course offers tips for home study and projects as well as IT cases, so you can use it with your family. 

4) Study little and often

Time management can be challenging. Besides your classes, you will have other commitments like extracurricular activities, work, and social engagements. Consider adding your study sessions to your calendar like any other commitments. This ensures that you remember this is time set aside specifically for studying. Even with an hour or two per a day you will be on track with your study plan.

5) Complement your training with online research

There is a whole world of content online – blogs, forums, discussion groups. Start doing your research and build on your knowledge that you are gaining from you training course.

There you go! Happy studying, and if you need some inspiration about what to learn, you can check out our list of FREE online training courses in this blog.