Online learning is our new reality. Here are four DON’Ts for you to avoid this semester so you can pass your college course and reach your academic goals.

Don’t treat your online learning assignments like a google search.

Some weekly online learning homework assignments feel like busy work. Keep in mind that the professor is creating weekly homework to keep you engaged with the weekly material: chapter readings, articles, power points, videos, live or recorded lectures, websites. It is so tempting to google search or Function F the material to find the answers to your homework assignments. While you might learn a certain amount of information from google search or Function F, it probably won’t be enough to pass an objective closed-notes exam.

What should you do? 

Ask yourself what does the professor want me to learn this week?

The answer to this question is found in the following places:

• The syllabus might have a class schedule with a list of main topics for the week and learning objectives.
• The power point is essentially an outline of the material you need to learn this week.
• The professor’s lecture. If you are fortunate enough to have a professor deliver a lecture to you each week, you are golden. During the lecture, the professor will tell you what you need to learn for the week.
• Sometimes the professor will include a word document with the main points your need to learn for the week.

Now that you have a general idea of what your professor wants you to learn this week, treat it like a road map. Use this to go through the readings, lectures, power points and whatever else the professor includes for the week or the unit.

Don’t fail weekly quizzes. 

I had a student last semester, and she was failing her weekly quizzes. The quizzes were only 5 questions and covered the material presented in the power point for that week. The questions on the quiz were not hard, she said. But she was still earning 50s and 60s on those pesky little quizzes. The power point was not that in-depth. The information was not abstract. But she still could not seem to answer the quiz questions correctly.

What did we do? 

Together we looked at the power point and asked ourselves, “what does the professor want me to learn from this slide or this series of slides?” By talking through each slide, she was able to see the main points and the supporting details. Then together we predicted what kind of question could the professor ask on the quiz based on this slide? This is all it took. The next week she earned an 80 on the quiz.

Don’t treat your  online learning work like a to-do list.

It’s easy to just find the answers to your weekly work and turn the work in for a grade. And boom, you are done with schoolwork for the week. The problem is that you probably did not learn what the professor wants you to learn for the week.

What should you do?

Remember your professor includes these weekly homework assignments as learning activities. The idea is that if you go through the activity you will come out with some learning. Some knowledge. The knowledge you will need to pass the exam. Every homework assignment should contribute to your learning.

Don’t fall asleep during recorded lectures. 

It is hard to stay awake, pay attention and take notes during a recorded lecture.  Online learning might require  you to listen to recorded lectures every week. Since no one else sees you, no one knows you fell asleep. This is particularly true if you are watching the lecture from the comfort of your bed. It is so comfortable to just fall asleep during a “boring” lecture.

What should you do?

Stand up. Drink coffee. Do jumping jacks. Pause the tape, go outside then come back and keep watching the “boring” lecture. Take notes. Treat the recorded lectures or the other videos as though everything will be on the exam because it probably will. Practice staying awake during online learning.