Introduction to Online Learning

The following video provides a bit of information about learning online, and how you can be more successful in this program.

Any online course you undertake provides an opportunity to build a collaborative learning community that includes your instructors and your fellow students. We hope, from the start of this course, that you will share reactions, questions and concerns with each other, and with us. Some of you will be entirely confident about working online and studying at this level; others will be more anxious. Please use this space and use each other to learn, and please don't think that your question is silly, or that you are the only one asking such things - both are most unlikely.

If you have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to post a note in the General Discussion forum, located on the Course Home Page. You may expect a response within 24 hours. Alternatively, you may email the instructors at any time for assistance.

Reminders

Create a learning schedule

• Review the overall schedule
• Put key dates in your calendar
• Block off times for studying & assignments
• Approximately 12 hours per week
• Divide learning into 2-3 hour blocks

Organize Files

• Create a PM Course folder
• Download the Tools, Templates & Samples.zip file
• Put the Tools file in the PM Course folder
• Extract .zip file for use
• Create sub-folders for assignments
• Copy templates and rename for assignments

Review Course Outline

• Overview
• Learning objectives
• Approach
• Evaluation & grading
• Similar look for each course, but different information

Studying

• Complete all readings and activities
• Work through each lesson in sequence
• Learn the processes and see examples
• Practice using the skills in activities
• Experiment and compare to solutions
• Ask questions in the Discussion Forums

Software Learning

• Install the software before the Planning course
• Complete the practice activities first
• Limit the number of times you use the videos
• Configure the software and files correctly
• Experiment with a very simple files
• Plan on paper first, then enter information into the software

Learning from Assignments

• Share files and give each other feedback
• Read assignment instructions carefully
• Make a checklist for each assignment
• Compare your assignments to the samples
• Reflect on what you learned from the assignment
• Review comments in marked assignments