How to Be a
Good Online Learner
Registration is now closed for the VALRC online courses.
However, you are welcome to use this
tutorial at any time.
For a schedule of the online courses, go to: www.valrc.org/training/online/index.html.
Introduction
This tutorial is the first step in registering for the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center's online courses. It should take you about 30 minutes to read through the tutorial which will give you a preview of what the online learning experience is like as well as prepare you to fully participate in the online courses.
After completing this tutorial, you will be directed on how to register for the course that interests you. However, you may use this tutorial even if you are not registering for an online course or if you are already enrolled. This tutorial is available for you at any time to refer to if you have any questions.
If you would like to see a schedule of VALRC's Online Professional Development courses, please click here.
Online learning is fast becoming one of the top ways to learn. Not only has the business world embraced the technology but so has the educational world.
Technology is becoming an integral part of our lives. Learning to adapt it to our needs is paramount. Participating in online learning is one way that we are bending technology to meet our needs.
New technology and new ways of learning are often disconcerting for learners. It's not easy to change. But just as we ask our students to adapt to new and improved methods of teaching, we here at the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center ask you to adapt to a new way of delivering professional development. This tutorial will walk you through many aspects of online learning. Much of what is contained in this tutorial is general information about online learning, and some of what is covered is specific to courses offered through the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center.
Some of the topics covered in the tutorial are
- search engines,
- Internet terms,
- time management,
- organization,
- study skills,
- communication,
- web browsers,
- downloads,
- security issues,
- and many others.
There is also a glossary for you to learn the meanings of all the Internet and computer terms that you were curious about.
There are two methods of getting around (called navigating) this tutorial:
- You may read each page in succession, using the buttons at the bottom of each page.
or
- You may select which topics most interest you from the course map located on the left side of each screen.
We hope that at the conclusion of this tutorial, you will feel confident and prepared for your exciting journey into online learning. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact Lauren Ellington at courses@valrc.org or 1-800-237-0178.
