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Course Learning Model
Online-learning.com's courses are
well-suited for busy professionals since they provide students
with the opportunity to learn when it is most convenient.
Our courses are instructor-led, providing interaction and
access to experts in the industry. Most importantly, they
provide the needed balance between learning, discussing, and
doing to allow real learning to occur.
All of our courses are taught using an instructor-mentoring
approach. This approach allows students to work at their own
pace on reading materials and assignments, but also receive
expert advice and individual mentoring when they need or want
it. The approach lets our instructors guide students through
the course materials using email, chat and discussion groups,
so that students can complete the course assignments. We use
this approach because after years of research, we're convinced
it is simply the best way to learn online. It provides the
best features of traditional classroom-based learning with
the convenience of online learning.
The instructor sets up a calendar at the beginning
of the course. The calendar allows students to see when assignments
are due and when chat sessions will be held. Students are
able to measure their progress by using the calendar as a
guide.
Our instructors send out weekly updates. The instructor's
comments are available through the student locker page. The
updates usually cover course logistics and assignments. They
also help students pace themselves through the materials.
Students can email their instructor at any time to
receive one-on-one mentoring. Typically, students use this
method of interaction to discuss specific aspects of the assignments
or course materials. The value of this approach is that students
don't have to wait for the rest of the class to get an answer
to a specific question.
All of the courses that we teach here at Online-learning.com
require students to "learn by doing". Quite simply,
you cannot learn a skill such as technical writing or graphic
design without practicing the skill and receiving expert feedback.
We use assignments to facilitate this process. Our instructors
review and mark your assignments. They make suggestions on
how to improve the final product so that you learn from the
experience and can apply the skill in other assignments.
The instructor holds periodic chat sessions throughout
the course. The chats are used to discuss course materials
and assignments. Chat sessions give students an opportunity
to express their observations on topics of interest. Students
are not required to attend chat sessions; however, most students
find them beneficial.
Students are encouraged to communicate with each
other through the course discussion board. The discussion
group is available to allow students to share information
or to seek assistance with assignments. If students have a
question on an assignment that is of a general nature, they
can use the discussion group to post their question since
other students will also benefit from the response. Student
who need personal assistance can email the instructor directly.
Our courses have been developed either by qualified industry
experts or academic institutions. For example, our Professional
Technical Writing and Professional XML Authoring courses were
developed through years of research in conjunction with the
University of Waterloo. Our Online Help Systems, User Interface
and Information Graphics courses were developed by industry
experts with years of experience in their disciplines.
For more information, take a quick
tour of our learning model.
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