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World economies have changed dramatically over the last few years, and will continue to change at an increasing pace. And with these changes have come corresponding changes in our work and our lives. Lifelong education becomes particularly important in this constantly changing, highly competitive, environment.

But education on-campus at university or college is not possible for many people because jobs or other commitments make it impossible for them to attend on-campus classes. Online learning provides a flexible solution for such people. Unfortunately, many learners enter an online program without realizing the problems they need to face. Thus, all too often they are disappointed with their first experience of this new mode of learning. To avoid this, there are six things that the learner should watch out for.

When you study on-campus, other people organize much of your study time. With online learning, you have to organize it yourself. So be organized ” manage your time. Set aside a regular time in your diary for study of the material as if you were attending classes. And complete assignments well before the due dates. That way you have time to check them and also avoid those last minute things that go wrong when you are late. Do not be a poor time manager.

Living and working in todays ever-changing world demands life-long learning. And so if you wish to continue to be part of it, you must have a desire to learn and be motivated to learn for the rest of your life. So this means wanting to learn even when there is no extrinsic motivation (e.g., a salary increase).

You shouldn’t only acquire knowledge ” you should also acquire the skills to acquire knowledge. In particular, learning online requires that you develop these skills. This means having well-developed critical reading and thinking skills as well as the technical skills of how find books or web sites on a particular subject.

If you are learning online, the materials replace the lectures that students get in a face-to-face course. But they usually does more than those lectures ” the courseware often includes questions, exercises and further reading so that your learning can be active rather than passive. And that is the key – ACTIVE LEARNING. Make sure that you complete all the exercises and actively read the text.

In an online course, real learning takes place when you are interacting with others on the course. So try to find a learning group, either in your area or online – your e-Tutor may well facilitate this. You can then take part in social learning ” and you will find that you only truly know something when you try to explain it to someone else. Make sure that you respond to all the e-Tutors requests for feedback and do participate in the discussion forums.

I recently heard of a government official who had his position taken away from him on the grounds that he hadn’t earned his qualifications because they were from a diploma mill – a business that simply prints diplomas and degrees. He protested that he had earned them because he paid good money for them. You must always make sure that the online qualification you receive is from an accredited institution and the form of accreditation is recognized in your country. Never buy a qualification from a diploma mill.

Filed under: Personal Development