In the time of unexpected quarantine, when the government shutdown schools and other places which were the necessary attributes of our everyday lives, it is hard to keep psychologically healthy, not even talking about self-development. You may remember the advice to try different routes to work or school to make your brain develop, but what if we were placed under the conditions of no routes at all? How to prevent the brains from draining during these tough times? Distance learning can help with that.
The main thing today is that we still have internet, so technologies have granted us with such necessities as remote communication with our classmates and friends (despite the schools closing) and distance learning (active, passive, and even interactive one). However, one of the minuses of the worldwide web is that it has too much information and resources, so it is easy to get lost. To help you with your reasonable decision to keep developing your brains, we offer the best distance recommendations and resources for learning gathered in one article.
Best Online Resources That Help with Distance Learning
Quarantine is not a vacation under the home arrest, it is a continuation of the studying process in the other format. You might have understood that since you keep receiving assignments and listening to lectures from your professors. However, those who never practiced distance learning (most of the students, I believe), are having a hard time switching from physical to online presence on lectures. They need more things clarified, and professors simply do not have time to provide help with distance learning to each and every student who needs this. So, to clear up some topics in your head and not to get the GPA lowered, check the following online resources that can help you out.
Khan Academy
This is not just an online platform, it is a whole non-profit organization that helps provide high-quality education for everyone everywhere. It is completely free of charge, so no wonder it is a perfect solution for those who seek distance learning help. The lectures here are available in YouTube video format, and that is great because you can always go back to listen to something again or skip the things you already know to save time. In addition to videos, Khan Academy offers a system of exercises that is generated for students based on their skills and achievements. In 2010, the resource has started their movement towards gamification of distance learning with the help of badges. You are free to study what you want and as you want. You want to start with something easy? Here you go, the selection of distance learning courses at a basic level. Ready for Advanced courses? Take them! If you feel you need a break that will help you to refresh, take it. Any subjects are available. Indeed, this is a platform where everybody can find help with distance learning he/she needs.
Coursera
This is another free resource with hundreds of online courses on different subjects. After you passed a course successfully, you will get a certificate, that can be a good attachment to your resume. The shortest course is 3 weeks long, and around 1/3 of courses last 10 weeks or more. A student is supposed to review videos with lectures weekly, as well as read the recommended articles, and complete home assignments. The home tasks can be in the form of quizzes, essays, creative assignments, or projects. Quizzes are evaluated automatically, but essays are cross-checked by your course mates with the help of a specially developed technology. The grade for the assignment will be an arithmetic mean of the marks set by your reviewers. Overall, this is a good platform to get some extra knowledge on your field of interest, or just to help you fill the holes of your regular distance learning courses.
TED
This resource is unlike the ones mentioned above, but it is still a good way to acquire knowledge during the time the schools were canceled. You do not need to take a course here, but you can just search for the educational video on your topic of interest from authoritative speakers and view it whenever you want. You can also discover some new topics to widen your outlook while you are sitting at home all the time. Additionally, the motivating videos will help you get enthusiastic about distance learning and improve your creative thinking.
Big Think
Something similar to TED can be found on Big Think, which has over 12,000 videos where the experts from various fields are happy to share their knowledge with you. No need to take a distance learning course, just choose the videos that help understand the concepts which are unclear to you.
Eduscapes
Here you will find around 20 courses for distance learning, which are not a lot, but maybe, you will find the one that suits you perfectly? Eduscapes includes a lot of visuals in its courses on Business Studies, Humanities, STEM subjects, Library Management, so if you are a visual learner, do not hesitate to review one of them!
Saylor Academy
Saylor Academy offers more than 300 free courses which are typical for U.S. learning institutions. You may review the content even without the need to sign up or log in, but you will need to authorize to pass the final exams and get the certificate of completion. All the materials available are peer-reviewed, so their credibility is confirmed by at least two professors. They say that passing courses here can give the same knowledge one receives pursuing his/her Bachelor’s degree.
Open Culture
More than 1,500 courses on various subjects (mostly Humanities) are available on this not-that-well-done website to help you with distance learning. But, when you seek knowledge, you do not need pictures to motivate you, do you? The website is quite functional, and you can review a short description of every course to make up your mind. There are courses from universities from all over the world. Isn’t it a great way to discover new cultures together with effective distance learning?
Distance Recommendations that Will Help in Learning
Now, when you have reviewed the resources above, I bet you are enthusiastic and want to take a few courses to help you with distance learning.
- Take a deep breath. Starting everything at once will not bear fruits. Choose only the courses that you consider essential for your studies and career, not those which just “sound interesting.” Remember that nothing comes easy, and those interesting materials need to be coupled with your hard work and dedication for the whole course to bring a good result.
- Take care of your time management beforehand. It would be great if you avoid taking a few courses and then realizing that you do not have time for them. Think of which hours on which days can be devoted to distance learning. Remember that canceling all social connections (even online) will not help either. Only after you have a clear plan, start the course.
- Do not waste time. If you are having your breakfast, why not watch a short TED video, for example? Choose a motivating one, so your further studies will go smoothly.
- Ask for help if you need it. In case you are in the process of a certain course, and you feel that you cannot manage to complete any of the tasks offered, Coolessay is always here for you. You are welcome to contact us for help with your distance learning assignment.
We hope this quarantine will not help your brain drain but will open a whole new world of distance learning possibilities for you. All in all, nothing comes for no reason, so try to make the most out of the situation the life has brought.
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