Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

108 Studying online 
Figure 5.1 
An RSS reader can collect together a range of sources of 
information, including forum posts 
forum and displays new posts for you. Doing this means you can 
arrange to have all the forums you subscribe to in one place, with-
out the need for interruptions through email. On my computer, 
I have set up Feedly as a pinned tab in my web browser. Tis 
means that at regular intervals during the day, I can go to that tab 
and check to see the latest information from a variety of sources. 
Tis saves a great deal of time. Plus, it means I am in control of 
the receipt of that information. You could do the same, meaning 
that you would have a single place to check the forums you need 
to monitor. 
PRACTICAL TIPS 
y
Check out all the forums available to you.
Search through your 
online VLE to fnd all the tutorials and discussion groups available. 
If you don’t fnd everything that is available, you could miss out. 

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Using study forums 109 
y
Take part in academic forums.
Even if you think you will make 
mistakes or appear stupid, it is worthwhile taking part in academ-
ic forums. This is because you will learn and correct any errors in 
understanding. You can do that before you come to any assess-
ment. As a result, forums can help you avoid losing marks. 
y
Join social media groups.
Even if you only take part occasionally, 
they can contribute to you feeling more part of a student com-
munity rather than an individual studying alone. 
y
Ask questions on public forums.
Ask questions on public fo-
rums such as Quora as this can help increase your knowledge 
and understanding by gaining insights from experts outside your 
university. 
y