Nora, a 5th year student in the Faculty of Human and Social Development, shares strategies for successful online learning. She recommends using a color-coded calendar to keep track of due dates for assignments and discussions. Nora connects with classmates by creating shared Google Docs for each course where they can ask questions and share resources, but recommends checking with the professor first. When navigating CourseSpaces, Nora suggests keeping separate tabs open for each course and ensuring assignment files are compatible formats.

1. Online Learning
Insights
From current students

2. What have you enjoyed
the most about online
learning?
The flexibility in my schedule. It has
allowed me to have much more
diverse experiences during my studies
because my schedule is essentially
"open" during the days. I have been
able to take on cool part-time work,
volunteer opportunities and attend
conferences during the day that may
have previously been obstructed by
in-class lectures.
Nora
5th year, Faculty of
Human and Social
Development

3. What strategies have
worked for you to be
successful with online
learning?
A big calendar! I marked down all of
the due dates for each of my courses
and colour-coded them so that each
course was clearly differentiated. I
made sure to write down the
deadlines not only for big
assignments or tests but also weekly
things like discussion forums.
Nora
5th year, Faculty of
Human and Social
Development

4. How have you connected
with your classmates
while learning online?
My classmates and I would create
Google Docs for each course, where
we could ask each other questions and
compile resources. It was nice to be
able to lean on each other for help. If
you are doing this though, it is best
practice to run it by your professor
first.
Nora
5th year, Faculty of
Human and Social
Development

5. Do you have any tips for
navigating CourseSpaces
effectively?
One of my favourite strategies is to
have an open tab for each course. This
makes it easy to jump back and forth
between discussion forums, etc. Also,
make sure that you read the
requirements for document types in
your assignment submissions and
create your assignments in file types
that are compatible with
CourseSpaces.
Nora
5th year, Faculty of
Human and Social
Development

6. What have you enjoyed the most
about online learning?
Overall, I enjoy having a more flexibility,
spontaneity, and control over how I chose to
dedicate my time. There is nothing quite like
being able to alternate online lectures with
painting, baking cookies, or playing an
instrument as a reward for my work!- Peri, 4th year,
Science
There's this weird but very cool aspect to it. I'll
call it the "un-distracted principle" where, if
you only have work-related windows open on
your device, your focus and train-of-thought
tends to be more clear than in a classroom full
of uncontrollable variables. - René, Graduate student, Education
I have enjoyed having the ability to connect with other
students outside of Victoria.
- Dale, Graduate student, Education
Overall, I enjoy having a more flexibility,
spontaneity, and control over how I chose to
dedicate my time. There is nothing quite like
being able to alternate online lectures with
painting, baking cookies, or playing an
instrument as a reward for my work! - Peri, 4th year, Science

7. What have you enjoyed
the most about online
learning?
It allowed me to move at my own
pace for certain courses, letting me
spend more time with topics I am
confused about and speed through
topics I feel comfortable with.
Eduardo
2nd year, Faculty of
Engineering

8. What has been your
biggest challenge with
learning online?
Motivation. Getting started with
studying while at home can be hard
sometimes, but my biggest advice
would be two things:
1. Get dressed! Staying in
sweatpants all day long will not
make you super productive.
2. Just start! The hardest part is
actually opening up your
computer and watching a
lecture, but once you start it
you can get through it very
easily.
Eduardo
2nd year, Faculty of
Engineering

9. How have you connected
with your classmates
while learning online?
FaceTime calls when working on
assignments, or even just calling for
an hour or so to work together (even if
most of the time there’s silence), it
pushed you to work if someone else is
doing so as well.
Eduardo
2nd year, Faculty of
Engineering

10. Do you have any tips for
navigating CourseSpaces
effectively?
Use a computer instead of a mobile
device! A lot of the formatting gets
really weird when using
phones/tablets, so a computer is your
best bet.
Eduardo
2nd year, Faculty of
Engineering

11. What strategies helped you
successful with online
I designated different seats in my apartment for the
different tasks that I am working on. This helps me to
get in the right mindset and be in work mode for a
specific task. Changing something small like my
seating helps me to not feel stuck and mundane in
my routine. - Suriani, Graduate student, Education
I set aside specific times during which I do the work.
It feels like I have a ‘class’ of sorts where all I do is
focus on the materials. I also leave my phone in a
different room so I wasn’t completely distracted.
- Rachel, 4th year, Education
I have found that breaking up larger tasks into smaller
pieces has really helped. Also, finding a friend...an
accountability buddy if you will, so that you can keep
each other focused and on track.
- Joanna, Graduate student, Education
be
learning?

12. What has been your
biggest challenge with
learning online?
For me, learning online can be
difficult because of outside
distractions, especially when I’m at
home. My best advice is to set
yourself up in a dedicated place (not
your bed!), remove as many
distractions as possible and treat it
like you would an in-person class. Get
out of your pajamas, dedicate blocks
of time to studying, and make sure
you know about deadlines and other
important dates.
Isabel
Recent graduate,
Humanities

13. What is the biggest
difference between
face-to-face and
online learning?
With face-to-face learning, you are
accountable to more people, while
with online learning, it’s only you out
there. Make sure you still do things
you would do in a regular classroom,
like asking questions, talking to your
professor and taking notes!
Isabel
Recent graduate,
Humanities

14. How have you connected
with your classmates
while learning online?
CourseSpaces allows you to message
your fellow classmates, but I also like
using Zoom, FaceTime, or Google
Hangouts to have video chats with
classmates. It makes studying easier. If
you don’t know anyone in the class,
write on the CourseSpaces forum that
you’re looking for a study buddy!
Isabel
Recent graduate,
Humanities

15. Isabel
Recent graduate,
Humanities
Remember to study somewhere with
a good internet connection if you
can.
Do you have any tips for
navigating CourseSpaces
effectively?