6 Tips For Boosting Knowledge Retention In Online Courses

Digital learning offers unprecedented flexibility and access to more than a lifetime of knowledge in just a few keystrokes. The challenge for students is absorbing that material, to easily recall and implement it when exam time arrives. Processing knowledge effectively is often the difference between a minimum passing grade and complete subject mastery. 

So, continue reading for 6 practical suggestions to help maximise your learning potential in online courses and boost your knowledge retention.

1. Effective Note Taking

Well-organised information reinforces learning and serves as a valuable resource for further review. Making your study materials more interactive is an excellent way to get started.

 

Often, curriculums are presented in formats that can inhibit your ability to highlight the key points and take notes, such as hardcopy textbooks or reams of pre-printed loose papers.

 

Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) solves this problem, allowing administrators to standardise presentation across multiple proprietary platforms, so students can convert PDFs to Word to make the course materials user-friendly.

 

Once transformed, students can add comments, notes, and highlights directly into the text for easy studying and sharing amongst peers. You’ll still have full search functionality within Word, plus the flexibility to integrate the material with tools like study apps and flash cards.

 

Practical notation isn’t just jotting down every word but rather capturing the essence of the information. Focus on identifying the key points, critical details, and important examples. Speed the process by paraphrasing rather than copying words verbatim. You can also develop a system using symbols and abbreviations to write and type faster, helping you keep pace in class.

 

2. Review Your Notes Consistently

Without periodic analysis, new material can quickly fade from our memory, making it more difficult to remember the essential points during exams.

Include helpful active recall exercises to identify gaps in your understanding. For example, handwritten or digital Flashcards help you test retention of key concepts, dates, numbers, and definitions. Summary notes help keep the important principles fresh in your mind provided they’re brief but comprehensive enough to serve as quick references. Spend ample time reviewing these resources to reinforce the covered material.

Further test your cognitive performance with one or a couple of study partners. Use ‘teach back’ roles where each person takes turns to assume the instructor role. Pretend you’re leading the class and present what you’ve covered without referring to your notes. Create practice quizzes, use past exam material, and consider reviewing relevant case studies to implement your knowledge in real-life scenarios.

3. Continuous Course Material Engagement

Most students sit passively during an online class as the instructor covers the main points. Deeper learning occurs through repeated subject matter exposure and discussion with student peers and experts in your field of study.

If the online class is teacher-led, don’t hesitate to pose questions if you have doubts or find something confusing. Often online learning includes tight scheduling, so there’s a risk of falling behind. If your concerns aren’t addressed during the presentation, book time after to gain clarification on those topics.

Digital courses often include discussion forums with instructor participation which offer further interaction. These virtual venues provide more extensive coverage and diverse viewpoints from industry leaders, graduate students, and classmates.

4. Utilise Multimedia Content

Digital learning curriculums often include interactive resources. Engage with these supplemental materials such as simulations, videos and podcasts, if they’re offered. Virtual labs or “sandboxes” allow you to experiment with relevant concepts in controlled settings. This is especially beneficial for technical topics such as programming, chemistry, and other scientific fields.

The ability to pause and replay your online classes or lectures is an invaluable way to fully immerse yourself in the course, and create accurate notes in your preferred formats.

5. Create An Optimal Learning Environment

Having a distraction-free study setting for your online learning is crucial. Make a dedicated space and an established routine to signal to your brain that it’s time to focus. It should be a quiet room with minimal interruptions, separate from where you relax or sleep. Study locations should also be ergonomically designed for work and furnished with comfortable tables and chairs that support proper posture, to avoid muscle strain during long sessions.

Ensure the room is well-lit with variable settings and ample sunlight to avoid harshness and glare. Keep the workspace clutter-free, including only the essentials such as your computer, monitors, and learning materials like books, notepads, and stationery.

Use a comfortable keyboard and mouse to avoid muscle irritation, and good-quality earphones and speakers to improve the clarity of podcasts and video lectures.

6. Get Proper Rest

Finally, while the convenience of digital study is obvious, avoid the temptation of overdoing it. Our cognitive function requires sufficient breaks between sessions to transfer learning from short to long-term memory effectively. During sleep, our brain consolidates and organises information while recovering from the heavy load of reading, writing, and testing.

Mid-session, take short breaks to engage in mild physical activity like stretching or a short walk to improve circulation, reduce stress, and refresh your mind. Stay hydrated and nourished, and strive for 7-9 hours of sleep on a comfortable mattress in a dark, quiet room. Find your perfect balance between study time, class, and leisure activities to maintain your health and prevent burnout.

Boost Your Knowledge Retention Moving Forward

For many, online courses provide a much more suitable and successful approach to learning. But being at your very best when you’re taking an online course is important if you want to get the most from your studies, beyond when you shut your laptop screen. Following the tips outlined above, you can be sure that you’ll boost your knowledge retention more permanently.

Remember, by carefully recording and repeating what you’ve learnt, and paying attention to your well-being too, you’ll be in the best position possible to maximise your return from any online course you choose.