OpenStudy: Online Study Groups

Have you ever had difficulty organizing a study group for class?  With varying schedules it can be challenging to get a group of people together.  This is where OpenStudy comes in.  The site was developed to help students find other people to study with and provide content and activities to aid in the learning process.


The site was launched in 2009 and now has over 100,000 students from 170 countries and 1,600 schools.  Topics covered include Math, Chemistry, History and others.  A couple of years ago they teamed up with MIT's OpenCourseware project to take advantage of all their open content.


If you would like find out more information you can check out their website at http://openstudy.com, take a look at their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.  Resources like these can make a big difference when taking college classes.  Sometimes I think about going back to school, in part, to take advantage of all the great resources that are out there for students.

5 Tips to be a successful online student

   Time management is a common problem for many online students. It can be hard to push yourself to study and get homework done when there aren’t other students around you doing the same. Many online students have jobs and families competing for their time as well, which just adds to the difficulty of getting down to business on your online homework.

   Here are some time management and study tips any student should implement, but that are especially useful for online students with a lot on their plates:

1. Set aside specific hours for schoolwork:

   As an online student, most of your classes and school activities can be done at the time of your choosing, but you’ll do yourself a favor if you stick to a fairly strict schedule. One way to stop yourself from procrastinating is to set aside specific hours for schoolwork every single day. Think of this time as an appointment that you can’t miss or you’re part time job. Once you get into the habit of studying during that time slot, it will be a lot easier to say no to other activities and recreation.

2. Use various study strategies:

   Engaging all of your senses while you study will help you remember what you learn. You can optimize your learning by actively choosing to use different study styles to learn about each new subject that comes up in your courses. Since online classes will likely only engage your visual and auditory senses, it is up to you to devise creative ways to use your other senses for learning. Writing flashcards on uniquely textured paper, or lighting incense while you study, can create sensory associations with the facts you’re learning, which will help you recall them later.

3. Avoid distractions like Social Networking or TV noise:

   While you’re studying, it is possible to get into a state psychologists call “flow,” which happens when you’re completely focused and immersed in the activity you’re doing. Some of your best work can be done while you’re in a state of flow, but distractions like the buzz of a phone or a TV show in the background stop you from achieving it. When you set a schedule for school, make sure that this is actually college time, not computer time. Ban yourself from social networking sites, such as Facebook when you’re supposed to be working. If you intend to spend a long time working online, you can reward yourself with little breaks every few hours, but otherwise stick to only using the computer for activities related to your classes. Minimizing interruptions during your studying time will increase your efficiency and learning.

5. Ask for help as soon as you need it:

   Just like typical college professors, online college professors are more than happy to help students who feel confused or are struggling with their schoolwork. Most professors, however, won’t go out of their way to ask you if you need help. Don’t be afraid to speak up–and do so as soon as you start feeling unsure about a concept or lesson. If you wait until the end of the semester, you won’t be prepared for tests and the confusion will snowball until it’s unmanageable.

Shannon

Google Docs and Google Drive

Google Docs is a great, free, online alternative to Microsoft Office, but it also so much more.  With Google Docs anywhere you have a web browser and internet access you can write papers, create presentations, create spreadsheets, and store any type of file.  Here is a short video that gives a quick, simple explanation about Google Docs.  You don't need to have any software on your computer and you can do all of the work in your browser.  There are also apps for your iPhone or Android phone that will allow you to access and edit your documents and files.

Some great features of Google Docs are collaboration and versioning.  You can share your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with your classmates and you can all simultaneously work on the same document and see all changes in real time.  All Google Docs also keep a history of all changes made and at any time, you can revert back to a previous version. As you type, it also automatically saves all of your changes.  Ever have Microsoft Word crash on you and you lost your work before you could save?  You'll never have that with Google Docs.  When you are done writing your document or creating your presentation, you can give your instructor the link to that Google Doc or you can export it as a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file and submit that to your instructor.

You can also get free 5 GB of data storage online with Google Drive.  Google Drive is an upgrade of Google Docs, where in addition to being able to create documents online, you can store any type of file that you want to.  Similar to Dropbox, you can install the Google Drive application on your computer and have access to your files online and in a folder on your computer.  With Google Drive, you can finally ditch your flash drive.  Have you ever lost or broken your flash drive and lost your work?  Have you ever had your computer's hard drive die on you and you lose your work?  I know I have.  Last week I had the hard drive die with all of my photos that my wife and I have ever taken, including our wedding photos.  I have those stored in Google Drive, so I didn't lose any of them.  Thank goodness for online storage!

If you start using Google Docs or Google Drive, or are an Google Docs or Drive pro, feel free to leave your tips and tricks in the comments!

Evernote

Evernote is a great, free, application for notes, but it can do much more.  When installed on a smartphone you can capture images of things you want to keep track of.  When installed in your web browser you can use it to take snapshots of web pages when doing research.  Since it is such a great tool and one of my most used apps I thought I would share it here as it is a perfect tool for school.

The link below outlines 5 back to school tips for students from the great folks at Read Write Web:  http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/back-to-school-5-evernote-tips-for-students.php

This next article, also from Read Write Web, gives an introduction to the Evernote app:  http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/evernote-a-0-to-60-mph-guide.php

This third, and final, article talks about how you can archive your life using Evernote:  http://lifehacker.com/5935658/how-to-automatically-archive-your-life-with-ifttt-and-evernote

If you prefer to hand-write your notes Evernote has you covered there too.  They have partnered with Moleskine to provide a way to take handwritten notes and then capture them in the Evernote app:  http://blog.evernote.com/2012/08/24/the-new-evernote-smart-notebook-by-moleskine/

If you start using Evernote, or are an Evernote pro, feel free to leave your tips and tricks in the comments!

Andy

Where to find help

As a student or a faculty member of Tacoma Community College, you should never have to struggle when you need help.  Here is a list of where you can go, call or email to get the help and support you need.

eLearning Help Desk:

Phone: (253)566-5176

Hours:   Monday - Thursday:  7:00AM to 9:00PM

              Friday:     7:00AM to 4:30PM

              Saturday:  8:30AM to 4:30PM

Email:  elearning@tacomacc.edu

The Portal Quick Link for Learning Network Support:

We have over 700 guides and lessons for students and faculty.  Once in the portal you can search the guides for just about anything from how to check your email to submitting your homework in Angel.

With the adoption of our new Learning Management Software (your online class access) Canvas, we have added close to 100 new guides and lessons to our growing list.   If your question is not of a technical nature there are also guides in there for the library and the tutoring centers. 

If after searching through the guides you still are unable to find an answer for your issue, you can submit a support ticket and we will get back to in a timely manner.

Just click on "Request Support"

 
Click on "Submit a Ticket"

There are many areas around the campus where you can get the help you need.  Here is a list of resources that you may find useful:

Business Education Center

Drop in or Make an Appointment by calling (253)460-4411

Location: Building 16, in room 308.

The BEC specializes in tutoring:

·         Accounting courses (ACCT)

·         Business courses (BUS)

·         Computer User courses (CU)

·         Economics (ECON)

·         Business Calculus (MATH 147, 148)

·         Statistics (MATH 146)

Active Learning Lab

Location: just inside the east entrance of the Science & Engineering Building.

·         Science

·         Engineering

 

The Active Learning Lab is a place for students to meet to study, work on projects, and get help in their science and engineering classes. 

Reading & Study Skills Center

Location:  upstairs in the Library/Learning Resource Center, Bldg. 7, Rm. 224.

The Reading and Study Skills Center welcomes all TCC students, including those enrolled in Reading 75, 85, and 95, as well as ABE, ESL, and EAP.

Reading students will engage in course-required exercises during their weekly class sessions and may drop in any time in order to complete their assignments.

In addition, we offer computer-based help for GED and Accuplacer test practice/preparation.

Resources in the Lab include 24 computers, and we offer assistance with log in, and other specialized needs for course-required learning programs.

MARC -Math Advising and Resource Center

Contact: (253)566-5145  (no tutoring over the phone)

·         Math Help

·         Math Advising

·         Math Resources

·         Math Testing 

The MARC location: Building 19 Room 22

The Writing & Tutoring Center

Call to make an appointment: (253)566-6032

Areas of assistance at TCC:

Adult Basic Education

·         English & Writing

·         Spanish

·         EAP/ESL

·         Biology

·         Physics

·         Chemistry

·         Social Sciences

·         Reading

·         Math

  

Computer Assisted Learning Lab

Location: Building 7, Room 2 

Computer assisted learning is an interactive educational method providing an effective and measurable means to improve reading, writing, and math skills for all levels of pre-college students.

In addition, participants can explore the content of college level course assignments; conduct more in depth, course relevant research; and improve personal computer knowledge and skills in the process.

Library

Location: Building 7