Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

x Introduction 
Online
takes you through the steps needed to make the most of 
Internet-based studying. You will learn what you need to do to get 
the best possible marks and have an enjoyable online university 
experience. Whether you are studying entirely online or are using 
Internet learning as part of a traditional university programme, 
this book will help. 
Te book begins with Chapter 1, looking at how online educa-
tion difers from face-to-face teaching and why that matters. Te 
Chapter explores the advantages and disadvantages of studying 
online and highlights some of the issues discussed in the remain-
der of the book. 
Chapter 2 considers what you need to have in place for efective 
online study. It looks at the technical equipment you will need, 
such as hardware and software. Tis chapter also discusses the 
need to prepare your study space and negotiate with the rest of the 
household so they can let you study in peace. 
With online study, much of your reading material will be provided 
in the form of ebooks and other web-based documents. Chapter 3 
considers the diferences between reading online and in print. Te 
chapter discusses the need for more regular breaks when you are 
reading on-screen. Tere is also a section in this chapter discuss-
ing whether you should print your reading materials. Plus, Chap-
ter 3 also considers the use of audiobooks as part of your learning. 
Chapter 4 is about taking notes. Tis chapter discusses the various 
notetaking systems available to online students. It looks at the 
diferences between taking paper notes and digital notes. Tere 
is also a discussion of online notebook systems such as OneNote 
from Microsoft. In addition, this chapter looks at the annotation 
of digital documents for computers, tablets, and mobiles. 
In Chapter 5, you will be able to read about the value of online 
study forums. Many educational establishments use these study 
forums and group discussions as part of each module. Tis 

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