Effective distance learning skills. Distance learning education is designed for students to study at a distance. In most cases, some are working class while others are not, you will be studying on your own and in your own spare time. You will be working through specially prepared materials on your own. Here you will be exposed to certain skills that you need to study on your own or as a distance learner.
Reading doesn’t not mean you are studying. This is not necessarily so. You may sit with a book before you and are not really studying. Studying suggests learning and so to learn there must be concentration and diligence. Effective distance learning skills
Here are some of the problems you face most time as a distance learner
- Lack of concentration
- Slow reading
- Work and family interference.
- Reading and not understanding
- Too many things to read
- Clumsy and congested time-table
- Reading but not able to put things down properly during examination.
- Inability to take down notes
- Inability to follow the lectures given in cassette tapes,
If we go by the problems listed above as the difficulties we have in studying, it is obvious that we need certain skills for studying.
Some of the skills we will discuss briefly are listening, note taking, writing and reading. These are called interactive learning skills. Let’s take these skills one by one.
The Skills are:
- Reading skills
- Listening skills
- Writing skills
- Note taking skills
1. Reading Skills
One of the most important skills of studying at a distance is reading skills. Reading occupies a central place in studying. This is because most of the information we need is stored in books. Thus, to be able to retrieve information that will be learnt, you have to acquire efficient reading ability.
Reading is an important study skill and component of learning. If you read efficiently, you will learn. Without reading, you cannot learn many things.
Tips you should follow to be better in reading
- You must be in control of the material you are
- You must be able to understand and comprehend the
- You must be able to read with the speed required to complete the volume of things you have to
- You must be able to read between the lines and beyond the
- You must be able to apply what you are reading to relevant learning
- You must be able to read and create new ideas from what you are reading.
How to be successful learner in distance education.
- You must read very well;
- You must read with concentration;
- You must read where there are less distractions;
- You must read and ensure you are learning; and
- You must read and be able to recall what you are learning
- Having a working understanding of how sounds are represented.
- Sufficient practice in reading to achieve fluency with different kinds of texts
- Sufficient background knowledge and vocabulary to render written texts meaningful and interesting.
2. Listening Skills
Listening is an important component of distance learning. Many of the things that are taught are things you listened to. Some of these are:
- Listening to the lecturers speaking
- Listening to cassette tapes
- Listening to video tapes
- listening to CD-ROM
- Listening to films, radios, TV,
Thus, in your study, you need to listen to things that will make you learn. You can listen or watch You Tube video lectures, audio lectures and any other learning media.
The tips you need when learning
- You need concentration while listening.
- You need to be involved in certain activities, while listening.
- You need to follow the speaker or the medium of transmission of message, while listening. Just as you listen to learn, so also you should learn to
3. Writing Skills
If you read and you are unable to put what you read down for the people to know that you have read, then no reading is done. Reading and writing are thus interrelated skills. Writing is an important skill to be adopted as a distance learner. Remember most time you are the creator of your note.
Writing involves the ability to put things down in a clear, precise, coherent and effective manner. You must learn to write well, especially during examinations. Of course, you learn to write well by imitating good writers. And you can only come in contact with good writers by reading widely. Effective distance learning skills
Writing skills you need are:
- Make use of good vocabulary. Having a good and simple vocabulary is an asset of a successful writer.
- Get a writing Even if you write incredible, it is always better if we have a second opinion about our content.
- Express your Thoughts confidently.
- First drafts are never perfect.
- Brush Up on the Basics: Before you can start writing incredible content, you’ll need at least an intermediate understanding of the basic principles of writing.
- Read Like there’s no other day: The best writers are also keen readers, and reading on a regular basis is an easy way to start developing your writing skills.
- Find an editor who demonstrates patience.
- Eliminate unnecessary words from your writing.
- Review your earlier work and see how you’ve grown.
- Don’t be afraid to say what you mean in what you write.
Note taking skills
You should be capable of taking notes whenever you are reading. In fact, the more you shorten what you are reading, the more you can get them into your brain. Note taking and making helps to shorten a large volume of what you are reading.
Tips of skill of note taking and note making.
- Put notes
- Use abbreviations to shorten
- Be consistent in note
- Let your notes be neat.
