# data[].attributes.body
* Since there are several activities in the course it's important to schedule them among other working routines.
* Take time for the synchronous meetings and webinars
* Interact and work together, it's fun, smooth and amazing to learn with others.
* Do your blogs in parallell with the group work.
* Do not be afraid if you have a humble online learning experience. As your colleagues from other countries share their experiences your experience becomes bigger and  you feel as if yoy  have a great experience

# data[].attributes.body
Laughter, Teamwork and Dots...

# data[].attributes.body
Tell you I must...

# data[].attributes.body
Be OPEN to the experience!

The NETWORK you create is key!

Collaborative LEARNING at its finest!

- be OPEN to prioritise time

- be OPEN to contribute

- be OPEN to fully engage

- be OPEN to do the things you ask your students to do

# data[].attributes.body
Meme tips

# data[].attributes.body
TIPS for future participants:

1. Be aware that this course does take quite a bit of your time.

2. You get as much out of it as you put into it.

3. You can do it!

4. Open up earlier, everyone has something unique to share (although at first, it may not seem important).

5. If you pull your weight, you are more likely to be happier with your group (so no social loafing :-).

6. Keep presentations simple but effective (KISS principle).

7. Be open to learning something new (and difficult). Failure (here) can be a good thing (learn to fail rather than fail to learn).

8. Embrace diversity.

# data[].attributes.body
* Don’t stress - ride the ONL wave
* What you put in is what you will get out of it!
* Participate , engage and enjoy!
* Do not underestimate the time you will need for the course, but do not worry too much either, it will get easier with time
* Just participate and enjoy the time with your group
* Just be relax, you will be automatically participated.
* Bookmark the ONL page and familiarize yourself with it. Put the seminars in your calendar.

# data[].attributes.body
* The "we-learning" takes place in the discussions - make room for that.
* Work together during the meetings
* Prioritize the meeting with your group
* Do the work together (meaning - don´t divide tasks)
* Contribute to the meetings with your individual knowledge and perspective - then join in common work
* Make space for the course in your overall time schedule, and keep your schedule
* Be OK with that "enough is enough"
* Dare to share - you and others will learn more then
* Laugh!
* Save time for chit chatting!

# data[].attributes.body
Organize all your links in a bookmark folder in the browser, collecting all relevant links. Don't get lost in the beginning.

Dedicate sufficient time for preparation and meeting.

Be open to hear new and opposite opinions about teaching, and be flexible and patient.

Try to attend all the meetings, although it is possible to contribute asynchronously. The real learning takes place during discussions. If you miss a meeting, watch the recording.

If you are teaching at the same time, put in practice what you are learning during the course.

Prepare yourself for discussions during meetings by looking into the materials, webinars, and previous instances of the course before each topic.

Share your knowledge and experience with the team.

Actively involve in writing blogs and commenting on other blog posts during the course, especially when the topic is up and running =write your blogs

Intense and if you have the time for reflection, it will be a rewarding class for you but you need to do your part: show up and get involved.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are some of our struggles

We were Initially concerned with the vast diversity within the group and were worried that it could act as a barrier to online learning. Later we learned that diversity was the key to success in collaborating

Some of us struggled with time management within the duration of a meeting. Over time we learned to become more committed and more efficient. For example we realised that we should not  hold our colleagues back by not investing more of oneself into the session.

Initially blogging was difficult because it was difficult to incorporate tools such as word press. Later on we also had difficulty allocating time to writing blogs. We have overcome some of the technical barriers.

Initially, it was difficult to re-engineer ourselves into a student mindset as some of us have not yet been studying for years. Over time we became efficient in collaboration. For example we get over the technical difficulties by reading content way ahead of the session so that you can have more to contribute.

Some of use mentioned that time management was a difficult one because of scheduling the meetings at the wrong time zone

Here are some of the benefits we have from this course

The course taught us leadership and accountability. A  topic lead meant more than leading a topic. If anything, it has taught us that we need to be accountable because the group relies on the topic to make sure that the topic follows through.

The course taught us that we need to grow outside of our comfort zone. This is mainly because one needs to grow as a person during the course due to the time one spends with other people as well as with the topic presented to us.

We have learned a number of new online tools (e.g. padlet, miro). We will perhap incorporate it into our future classes. Some of us were also reluctant before for trying out new tools. The course took us out of that reluctance.

It was useful to be a student again and realize that the course webpage or the LMS and the usage of online tools is not always that easy to follow and/or to use at the start of a new course, and of course all courses are new for the students. Hence, this is an important insight for us teachers when we design courses - keep it simple if possible - and design stage 1 and 2 in the 5 stage model carefully.

This course has helped us to realise the power of diversity in a sense that the same subject can be understood from different perspectives but we all have something to learn from the collaboration.

Some general tips for the future ONL participants

ONL202 is a very high paced course, so one needs to fully commit.

People should be or willing to become tech savvy - trying out new online tools

Be self disciplined

Ask for help to facilitators when you need it (also from the group members)

Stay motivated

Virtually meet and interact with your group members (introducing ourselves, put questions, give answers)

give and expect respect

come in time in the meeting

respect others opinion as everyone comes from different backgrounds and see the world through that perspective

invited each other in the discussion

Be willing to write blogs on a regular basis as this will help your cognitive growth and development.

Remember the international timeline as time-zones might differ from one person to another.

Confirm a good internet connection (good webcam and headphone)

# data[].attributes.body
Be open to new tools/ideas, try them if you like, but you need not feel pressured into trying everything and making it all work.

Be yourself

Don’t be afraid to let go of your vision but trust the power of collaboration

Be pragmatic and try to build on your experience as well as the experience of the others in the group

Respect the time of the others, we are all in the same boat and really busy. To make it work, come prepared and take an active role.

Create a routine that makes it fun for you

Embrace the learning blog and strive to make it useful for yourself (and others, if possible)! This is the place where you can reflect on what you have learnt in relation to your needs

Be open about your intentions when helping other colleagues and manage expectations (eg. you need not be the go-to expert all the time)

Despite having gone through the programme and learning new tools/skills, cut yourself some slack and don’t take it upon yourself to be the expert - we’re always learning!

Never be afraid to reach out to others and do not be afraid to ask questions whenever you feel lost. Even if others feel lost too, it’s a beautiful thing to collaboratively get out of that feeling.

# data[].attributes.body
Discuss what advice and encouragement you would like to give to the participants in the next ONL course. What have you struggled with, and how did you overcome that? What benefits did you have from this course? Etc.

# data[].attributes.body
Our advice is to be patient, trust in and be open-minded to the PBL-process.

It is good to read the recommended literature before the topic starts so you are on track.

Engage in the discussions, share your experience and be considerate and responsive to the reflections shared by your group members.

Save the blog for the second week so all your reflections are included before, during and after processing a topic.

Presence in sessions is key, so that you can make the most of the course.

Don’t be afraid if you feel your English is not sufficient, because most of the learners are not native English speakers.

Perseverance is important, the online environment and breadth of topics will challenge you. You need to be dedicated and willing to keep learning regardless how tough the journey gets.

Be brave in asking questions and sharing doubts with the PBL group.

You don’t have to find answers. ONL is not to find the concrete answer, but to wake up to the issues.

Be ready to work during all weekdays, i.e. prepare yourself with planning enough time throughout the whole week during a topic.

The course gave us new pedagogical inspiration for digital/online teaching