TOP 10 Distance Learning Hints & Tips
These tips for learning online have been compiled as a collaboration between the Maynooth Students’ Union and the MU Office of the Dean of Teaching and Learning.
- Get to know Moodle: Check your Moodle course spaces daily and course discussion forums regularly, and take some time to learn what features are available to you. Check the Moodle Help for Students Page for tips and resources. It’s important to check each module ‘Lecture Announcements’ daily.
- For the best Teams experience, download the app for your computer, phone, or tablet. IT services have help guides for Teams available.
- Your Library log-in gets you access to so much more than you think! Online resources, journals and papers from lots of sites are accessible to students. Google Scholar is also really handy for finding research papers. Throw in search terms related to your study and let Google do the searching for you.
- Set aside a study space: try to work from one desk and set it up like you would if you were settling into the Library for a study stint. Avoid studying in your bedroom if you can - this can result in being unable to sleep at night, as your brain cannot switch off.
- Find out what is required of you in order to complete or submit your assignments and assessments online. The Moodle Help for Students Page has guides for submitting assignments via Moodle and Turnitin, and on completing Moodle Quizzes.
- Keep in touch with your classmates. You need to replace those informal chats over coffee! Whether it’s a WhatsApp group chat, via E-mail, or through Teams, keep chatting, having fun and sharing study tips and resources. Ask friends if your class have a group chat, and if they don’t, create one! Try to set up discussion groups with classmates. Choose a paper to read or a revision topic and then meet up on Teams and share your thoughts. You’re more likely to do the work if you know you are going to talk about it!
- Ask for help. If you need clarification on anything, reach out to your lecturer or classmates. Don’t be afraid to avail of or set up tutorials or Teams meetings.
- Don’t let technical issues hold you back. Communicate via chat if your microphone breaks. Have a pen and paper to hand if the internet is down. However, if you are having ongoing difficulties accessing online content or submitting assignments online, then do make contact with your module co-ordinator.
- We are all in this together (Im going to try some sort of tic tok with the high school musical here )-Be good to each other! The move to online learning has happened quickly. Your lecturers are new to this too, and might not have all the answers you require yet, but they will get there. The same goes for you and your classmates. We’re all in it together!
- Be good to yourself! Take regular breaks and get fresh air and exercise when you can.
USEFUL RESOURCES AND CONTACTS
Moodle Support: moodlesupport@mu.ie
Moodle Help for Students page: https://2020.moodle.maynoothuniversity.ie/course/view.php?id=6
IT Services support: servicedesk@mu.ie
Teams Guide https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/it-services/microsoft-teams
Learn something new
Now that you are not on campus and taking part in the usual activities some of you will have some more spare time than usual... So, this is a great time to learn something new! Check out these ideas - free online courses and books that might interest you. These may also be useful for research for your studies. Win win!
Learn code - freecodecamp.org Freecodecamp or Code academy Codecademy for learning code
Learn Adobe Creative Cloud (photoshop, indesign, illustrator etc) free 2 month trial - https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html
Learn a language - Duolingo app.
Learn about Campaigning for Environmental Justice with Friends of the Earth Ireland - https://www.foe.ie/…/campaigning-for-envriornmental-justic…/
Learn about Sustainable Development (SDGs) - https://www.edx.org/school/sdgacademyx
Do a mini-course on international law & international security [over on Instagram] - https://instagram.com/instanationalsecurity…
Tonnes more online courses - http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses and https://www.futurelearn.com/courses
https://www.skillshare.com/
ICTU/SIPTU College Trade Union Studies - moving to more online learning for now & next module starting in a few weeks. Currently doing this myself! [college@siptu.ie]
Free books to download (some are limited number or only for a period of time because of situation!)