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I feel like these are the first things to master in successful online learning.

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Very Interesting!!

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When I did the IB I was always tempted to start with the easy work and ended up putting off the difficult stuff. So I might start the weekend with doing the reading the English teacher had set. I might work on a project I found interesting for my Philosophy IA and then do some practice of French by listening to a podcast.

Unfortunately doing the easy thing first can mean that the hard work gets put off for so long that you end up not doing it at all! But why does this happen?
Well there's an interesting psychological effect that means thatpeople prefer the difficult or stressful part of a task to come first and then for things to get easier. This means that if you start with the easy work it's actually even harder to do the tricky stuff later! But you can actually benefit from this psychological quirk.

If you have a project or even a task list, one really great way to make things easier is to start with the hardest task. If you start with the difficult stuff then you know that things are only going to get easier and you're going to get a boost are every single activity! Plus there's a double benefit: if you use the hardest-first technique for studying you will have a more enjoyable experience. Because those experiences where things get easier over time are the ones we tend to enjoy the most. Have you ever had the experience of staying up all night trying to finish an essay? Horrible isn't it! Part of that suffering comes from the fact that your hardest work has been stacked at the end of the day. Beat this problem by using the hardest-first technique!

This applies in the long run too, not just over a weekend. So let's say you're taking Physics HL (lucky you!). Maybe you find the theory OK and don't have too much trouble with definitions but get tripped up by remembering how to plug the numbers into the maths. Well you might put half an hour everyday into making sure you can manipulate the equations you've been studying in class properly. Then when it comes to the end of the term you can just brush up your theory and definitions. This use of the hardest-first technique will mean that you are not as stressed or busy right at the end of the term (and that you have a better feeling term too!).

We can all use the hardest-first technique to improve our work. For many people the hardest step of all is getting started. If this sounds like something you struggle with head over here and get a wall planner. Make a plan of your work (starting with the hardest-first) and dive right in. I promise you won't regret it. When you've reached your goals you'll look back on the day you learned to do the hardest-first technique and be glad that you started putting the effort to get what you want!

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Worst things first - how doing the hardest task first can boost your productivity

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When I did the IB I was always tempted to start with the easy work and ended up putting off the difficult stuff. So I might start the weekend with doing the reading the English teacher had set.

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This article is more directed at teachers of online classes but has some good food for thought

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Discover The 8 Top eLearning Barriers That Inhibit Online Learners Engagement With eLearning Content

In a perfect eLearning world, everyone would have wide open schedules and endless attention spans. They would look forward to every eLearning module and activity, and intrinsic motivation would abound. Unfortunately, eLearning professionals have a variety of obstacles to contend with. But when we find the winning combination and jump over the hurdles, we can provide amazing eLearning experiences. Here are the top eLearning barriers that inhibit online learners engagement with the eLearning material and 8 tips to surmount them.

1. Limited Tech Experience

Some online learners may be hesitant to leap into eLearning because they don't have much tech experience. They've heard that eLearning is only for tech savvy individuals, thus, they've avoided it up until now. This is one of the most challenging hurdles to jump over because it's a preexisting belief. Online learners have convinced themselves that they need advanced tech skills to participate. However, you can alleviate their concerns by offering them online tutorials and personalized support. Create online demos that show them how to access and utilize the Learning Management System. Invite them to a new eLearning webinar where you'll walk them through the process. The secret is making them feel right at home in the eLearning environment.

2. Past Experience

Not everybody has great past experiences with eLearning. Which is why they're dreading it now. This is particularly true for online learners who have had to endure boring compliance online training courses. You can't erase the past, but you can get them excited about your current eLearning program. Stress the benefits in advance and let them know what's in store. Online learners who have had bad experiences don't need any more surprises, and especially negative ones. So, be clear about why they should take the eLearning course and how it will improve their lives. Additionally, carry out polls and questionnaires to identify problem areas you need to address. For instance, issues that arose with other eLearning courses.

3. Lack Of Motivation

You probably already knew that motivation was going to show up near the top of the list. After all, it is one of the most common challenges that eLearning professionals face. Any number of things can contribute to lack of motivation. But there is a way to get your online learners involved and actively engaged in the process: gamification. Badges, certificates, points, and leaderboards give online learners the motivation they need to achieve the desired outcomes.

4. Personal Cognitions

Unfortunately, some of your online learners may be dealing with self-defeating beliefs and opinions. For example, they may feel as though they don't have the skills or abilities to enroll in your eLearning course. This prevents them from receiving the benefits of the eLearning experience you offer. One of the best ways to overcome personal cognitions is to acknowledge and evaluate them. Ask online learners thought-provoking questions that prompt them to examine their beliefs and assumptions. They may not be aware that these negative cognitions exist in the first place.

5. Too Challenging eLearning Materials

Creating an effective eLearning experience is all about finding the perfect balance. If it's too easy, online learners may become bored and disengaged. If it's too difficult, they may become frustrated and simply give up. As such, you need to research your audience and conduct pre-assessments to find the ideal level of challenge. The goal is to give them a sense of accomplishment without making them struggle through the eLearning course. You can also divide more involved long-term goals into more manageable milestones to increase their motivation. Online learners have the opportunity to monitor their own progress and celebrate their accomplishments along the way.

6. Inadequate Support

Some of your online learners may breeze through the eLearning program on their own. They don't require any additional help and can navigate in the eLearning course with ease. Then there are others who require ongoing assistance throughout the entire eLearning experience. They may not be comfortable using the Learning Management System or find the topic challenging. Regardless of which category online learners fall into, they should ALWAYS have access to support. Provide them with a list of contact details and online resource links they can use to improve their comprehension.

7. Lack Of Community Involvement

Certain people associate eLearning with isolation and loneliness. They want to expand their knowledge, but they don't want to do it alone. For this reason, you should build an active online learning community for your eLearning course. Create social media groups and online forums where online learners can ask question and interact with peers. Start an eLearning blog or website that features helpful articles and multimedia links. Another option is developing online group collaboration activities that allow them to practice problem solving with their peers. There are a variety of Project Management online platforms that can help them communicate, share documents, and assign tasks. eLearning webinars are yet another way to promote community involvement and prevent feelings of isolation.

8. Online Learner Boredom

This list just wouldn't be complete without boredom. When boredom sets in, online learners check out. Solving this quandary once and for all is one of the great pursuits for eLearning professionals. There's no secret recipe to make your eLearning course inspiring and engaging. But the best way to prevent boredom is knowing your online learners. Conduct surveys, interviews, and pre-assessments to identify their expectations, needs, and goals. Use this eLearning feedback to create relevant and relatable eLearning experiences that solve real world challenges. In addition, develop personal learning paths that allow online learners to choose their eLearning activities.

Keep these 8 tips on-hand to overcome eLearning barriers and get your online learners excited about the eLearning experience. You can help them move beyond the cognitions that are holding them back and shed light on common eLearning misconceptions. Just remember that it's all about building a personal connection and offering them the individualized support they need.

Would you like to know what's driving your corporate learners crazy? Read the article 6 Online Training Mistakes That Drive Corporate Learners Crazy to discover the top online training mistakes that your organization should avoid.

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Top 8 eLearning Barriers That Inhibit Online Learners Engagement With eLearning Content

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In a perfect eLearning world, everyone would have wide open schedules and endless attention spans. They would look forward to every eLearning module and activity, and intrinsic motivation would abound. Unfortunately, eLearning professionals have a variety of obstacles to contend with.

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Characteristics of Successful Online Learners

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Characteristics of Successful Online Learners

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While a traditional student in an on-ground class gets to know his or her fellow classmates and instructor by sharing personal interactions on a regular basis, the online student often "attends class" independently of the instructor or other students. Online classes are "asynchronous," meaning that students and the instructor do not have to be logged into the classroom at any given time. Online students most often will complete course activities--such as adding reactions to responses posted in a discussion thread at a day and time most convenient to their schedules.

Students who enjoy face-to-face immediate interactions room may not find the online classroom a "good fit." Here are some of the important study habits and personality traits of successful online students.

Independent Learners

Online students must feel comfortable in a learning environment that places emphasis on individuals taking responsibility for their learning process. While the online classroom includes interactions between the student and instructor, they are not immediate as in a traditional on-ground classroom. Although online instructors answer questions and provide clarification of information to students as they would in the traditional classroom, students must be comfortable waiting up to 24 hours for a response to their emails.

A typical week for an online student might include:

Reading through the current week's assignments and lecture materials

Thoughtfully reading the textbooks for the class as assigned and identifying main points and supporting details

Responding by a deadline to discussion questions as posted by the instructor

"Discussing" through a discussion board (by a deadline) the responses of fellow classmates

Completing and sending (by a deadline) an assignment to be graded by the instructor

Completing an assignment by deadline in a work group comprised of four or five classmates

Goal-Oriented

Successful online students must be self-disciplined and goal-oriented as they work to complete their weekly assignments, post email messages, and work with their classmates in their online class. Online classes move quickly and instructors often will not allow students to "make up" missed online discussions or assignments.

Proficient Readers & Communicators

Online classes are reading intensive; students are expected to glean information from their texts and from online materials to apply to work assigned to them. Before enrolling you are required to take the ASSET and/or COMPASS tests: a score of at least 40 on the reading and comprehension sections of the ASSET placement test or at least an 81 on the COMPASS placement test reflects minimum college-level reading and comprehension skills (see Assessment & Placement link at right).

Basic Computer Skills

The computer is an integral part of the online classroom. While mastering the lessons of your online course, you do not want to be saddled with less-than-adequate computer skills. These basic skills including proficiency in sending and receiving emails with attachments, cutting and pasting from Word, and communicating with fellow students in Discussion threads.

Set a Schedule & Keep to It

Online instructors expect their students to be organized in setting a schedule that allows them to meet their deadlines. Most online classes require regular signing in and posting of messages in the classroom in order to stay current with class activities which include reading messages and lecture, interacting in discussion threads and work groups, and posting assignments.

Online instructors expect successful students to log at least three-five hours of online work a week for three-credit class. In addition, most students find they are successful if they log two hours of homework for every credit hour of class. Successful online students report that they log many hours above the minimum 12 hours expected.

Meet Deadlines

Online students who are successful in completing their courses know how to schedule their time to meet deadlines for classroom discussions, work group activities, and graded assignments. Successful online students understand that others in their classroom are counting on their participation in classroom and work group activities.

Not Easily Frustrated

Students in an online class sometimes are faced with obstacles that are out of their control: computers can break, ISP servers can crash, and electric power can go out. A successful online student identifies solutions for unexpected "catastrophes" by thinking ahead about solutions to potential problems.

Possible solutions for each of the above scenarios:

Use a friend or relative's computer

Access a computer in one of the computer labs on campus

Remember to save all online classroom work to a floppy disk, CD, zip disk, or flash disk so if your hard drive crashes, you do not "lose" your work.

Comfortable in Cyberspace

Most online classes do not provide visual or auditory images of the instructors or students, so "who you are" in class primarily is conveyed by the messages you post in the class discussion threads or work groups. You should be comfortable with this alternative method of creating a "picture" of who you are and what you think.

Remember Netiquette

Successful online students exhibit respect for the classroom environment and remember their "manners" when communicating to their fellow classmates and to their instructor. They understand that taking out their anger and/or frustration on their classmates and their instructor is not proper "netiquette" any more than it would be in a traditional classroom.

Take Responsibility for the Learning Process

Successful online students understand that their instructors are facilitators of their learning process and that the individual student must be a dedicated and goal-oriented self-starter. Online students are motivated and goal-oriented. They put their schoolwork at the top of their list of priorities.

Successful online students are not afraid to ask questions; however, they ask for clarification after they have attempted to understand the material on their own by re-reading the textbook, the instructions, or lecture.

Does this describe you?

I am a self-motivated and self-disciplined individual.

I am able to work independently with little direction.

I have good time-management skills that allow me to schedule specific times throughout a week to work on my online course.

I can adequately prepare and study for exams.

I can effectively communicate any questions or concerns to my instructor.

I am comfortable expressing myself in writing using grammatically correct, written statements and/or essays.

I am not a procrastinator. I like to get things done today and not tomorrow.

I will not miss the face-to-face interaction with my instructor and classmates.

I do not give up easily, even when confronted with obstacles.

I am comfortable spending five plus hours each week on a course to review course lectures/videos, complete course assignment, participate in chats and threaded discussions, etc.

I agree that online courses can be more challenging than face-to-face classes.

I consider myself an average to above-average reader.

I have basic computer skills and can use word processing software, download software, install software, use a web browser, etc.

I have access to a computer that is connected to the Internet and have a backup plan if something happens to my computer.

I am comfortable in a "virtual environment" - email, sending attachments, threaded discussions, chat rooms, etc.

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Characteristics of a Successful Online Student

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While a traditional student in an on-ground class gets to know his or her fellow classmates and instructor by sharing personal interactions on a regular basis, the online student often "attends class" independently of the instructor or other students.