Sue Deuchar is eCampus NZ’s Senior Learning Designer. She is part of the team behind the innovative eCampus NZ online portal which is specially tailored to be responsive to student’s learning needs.
According to Sue, students find the biggest barrier to conventional online learning is isolation and loneliness. For this reason, the eCampus NZ design team has turned its learning portal into a multimedia experience with facilitators and advisers working hard to engage and connect with their students on a regular basis at times that work for the learner.
‘“The eCampus NZ portal facilitates connectivity with students in a user-friendly environment. We make phone calls, use an online messaging system and other communication tools to reach out to students frequently, says Sue. “It’s essentially eLearning with human contact – the facilitators and advisers are right beside the student, following them on their learning journey.”
So how can students get the most out of their online study? Here are Sue’s top tips:
- Make yourself present in the online environment – ensure you express yourself freely, ask questions, if there are opportunities for collaboration with other students, then jump in and grab them.
- Take your time –The courses are delivered in ‘chunks of content’ so there’s time for you to digest and reflect without feeling like you are getting left behind.
- Family comes first – but remember study is part of your ‘me time’ for personal and professional achievement and betterment. It’s time for you and everyone deserves that.
- Don’t panic! Don’t get freaked out by the size of the course. There is plenty of time built in for you to work your way through it. At the beginning of each week schedule aside the study time that is recommended and make sure you have a quiet space where you can get it done. Let the kids and the cat tear the house apart while you are studying – it can always be cleaned up later.
For more information on student support visit https://www.ecampusnz.com/student-support/