Online learning has become the norm across many educational institutions, schools and universities alike, ever since the beginning of the pandemic. And even though many institutions have bounced back to face-to-face teaching and learning, others have undertaken a blended learning approach. In other words, many students learn partly online and partly in the classroom.
However, if you’re a student and you’re still learning online, you’re probably in need of a healthy online learning environment that helps you overcome distance learning challenges while still making the best of your learning.
Below are our tips on how to create a healthy learning environment:
- Pick a Study Place and Stick to it
A big advantage to learning in classrooms is the ambience. As soon as you get to the classroom, your brain switches to studying mode, keeping you attentive. Your brain is programmed to associate certain places with certain activities, that’s why studying in your bed is not the best idea.
Instead, you should pick a study place in your home and stick to it, pushing yourself to associate your new studying spot with studying. Your desk is ideal, but if you do not have one or if it’s occupied with something else, look into other available spots at home, or any outdoor places designated for studying.
- Limit Screen Time
Online education demands lots of screen time on a daily basis. All the classes or lectures, the assignments, and the research are done online, giving you no chance to rest your eyes away from the screen or your shoulders from bending over your laptop.
So, taking a break from online learning shouldn’t automatically mean rewarding yourself with a scroll through social media, as that will exhaust you even more. What you should be doing instead is getting active.
Try to incorporate at least one physical activity each day to stay healthy and help you stay focused. You can try to:
- Stretch.
- Dance.
- Exercise.
- Go for a walk or a run.
- Do yoga.
- Or garden, anything that gets you moving is great!
- Keep a Clear Schedule
A schedule will help you stay on track in regards to many things: your physical activity, your screen time, your sleeping pattern and of course – your studying.
It’s easy to get your sleeping pattern messed up when you have no actual classroom to attend just like it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the pile of assignments you need to submit in time.
Therefore, creating a balanced schedule will be beneficial for you in all aspects, making online learning manageable and your mental and physical health well-taken care of.
- Reach out to your Tutors
Don’t hesitate to reach out to your tutors, they are more than willing to give you feedback on your performance and guide you through certain points that you might need to improve and work on. Your tutors’ and teachers’ insight can be beneficial, so make sure you initiate communication.
If you are taking online courses with Oktopi, this step is especially easy and convenient as Oktopi is an online learning platform that is dedicated to creating a convenient, practical and professional space for educators and learners, in aims of empowering tutors and turning students into long-life learners.
With Oktopi, your tutors will be able to give you individual feedback regularly and contact you directly if anything needs to be clarified or discussed in depth. Oktopi’s tutors’ profiles are designed to enable both the tutors and learners to have a healthy learning and teaching experience online.
Whether you are choosing to take online courses with an online learning platform such as Oktopi, or if you’re attending school or university classes online, make sure to put in effort into creating a healthy learning environment that is crucial for your success and well-being.
