Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

78 Studying online 
that you can write by hand. If you already have a tablet device, you 
may wish to buy one of these screen protectors to test out hand-
writing. Tey are relatively expensive and can cost as much as fve 
times the amount of a regular screen protector. Even so, that is still 
going to be cheaper than buying a dedicated device and they are 
cheap enough for you to test out handwriting on your tablet. 
Whether you use your own tablet, get a digital handwriting pad, use 
a digital notepad and pen, or just take pictures of your handwritten 
notes, several options are available to you. Ultimately, there are op-
tions available to you so that you can integrate your handwritten 
notes with your digital fles. You ought to consider what will work 
best for you and the way you work taking into account your bud-
get. If you integrate your handwritten notes with your digital fles 
from the outset of studying online, you will fnd it much easier to 
get on with your studies. Just imagine when it comes to exam time, 
and you have to work your way through your online fles and your 
handwritten notes and try to work out how they are all connected. 
Tat problem can be avoided if you set up an integrated system for 
handwritten and digital materials from the outset. 
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DIGITAL ANNOTATION 
Whenever I walk into a lecture theatre, I can see the students 
who have been working hard on their studies. Tey have their 
textbooks in front of them, and I can see sticky note bookmarks 
sticking out. If they have the book open, I will see various pas-
sages highlighted as well as some scribbled notes in the margins. 
If I have provided lecture notes in advance, I will see the same. 
Students who have read the notes in advance will have annotated 
what I had written and highlighted some particular points. Just 
looking around the lecture theatre and seeing who has annotated 
their textbooks and notes gives me a clue as to who will do well 
with the assessments ...! 
Writing notes in the margins, highlighting key points, and under-
lining relevant passages is an integral part of studying. Students 

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