Best Online Presentation Tools for e-Learning

The purpose of presentations is to inform and to encourage thinking and discussion; hence these presentations should be interesting, understandable, and engaging. There are several products which can be used by online students to enable them to make effective presentation slides for their online assignments. These online presentation tools provide new techniques of presenting content for e-learning.

Some of the most popular and widely used online presentation tools are Prezi and SlideShare which are very effectual. These e-learning tools can help you to present a subject in the best possible way. These are Web 2.0 presentation tools:

• Prezi is a presentation design application in which you need not create individual slides and which can help you to create non-linear presentations. It is designed in Flash so the visual effect is very impressive. It is available both free of cost as well as for a price and the free package is with 100 MB of storage space. Though you can view the presentations offline, you cannot crate them offline. It also offers various forms of video demos and is an excellent tool for designing presentations online.
• SlideShare is more of a presentation sharing tool than a platform to create one. You can upload and host your presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint or Open Office on an online community. It is easy to use and very effective with simple designs. It can convert the presentations to the Flash format so online students can use it to their benefit. One disadvantage is that it can be very cumbersome if your internet connection is not fast. But the biggest advantage is that you do not need PowerPoint or any other software installed to view the presentations. Due to the Flash format, you can embed these presentations in your blog or on your website as well.

Online students can use online presentation tools effectively to enhance their learning process while pursuing online degree programs. While Prezi is good for professional users, SlideShare is very useful for online students who want to make and share good online presentations.

Avoiding the Top 5 Mistakes Job Seekers Make Online

Many job hunters that are ex-online students are familiar with using the internet for educational purposes and taking advantage of it for job seeking is a natural step. Just try to avoid the top 5 mistakes job seekers make online.

1. Avatar or Picture Is Not Appropriate Your avatar or picture speaks volumes about your personality. People with pictures that are inappropriate or unprofessional will not become the future employees, so be creative in order to get noticed land a career.

2. Not Using Industry Buzzword and Jargon on Their Profile These days you must include industry buzzwords and jargon on your profile. Recruiters and hiring managers use these phrases and keywords to search for profiles online. Therefore, your profile must be search engine optimized for your industry or it will not be seen.

3. Not Being Involved In Industry Related Forums, User Group, Blogs, and Social NetworksTo be noticed involve yourself in industry related online networks. Leave comments on blogs that people in your industry visit. Ask questions. Participation insures job seekers will be noticed online. Sitting back and observing will not make you the employee of the future!

4. Unprofessional Profile Invites Profile invites that are unprofessional and spammish are automatically declined by hiring managers and recruiters do not consider such applications seriously.

5. Not Reviewing and Updating Your Profile Your profile should be routinely updated with new qualifications and certifications. It must also be reviewed for mistakes and miscues. An unblemished profile is a must have to land a career and projects a professional image to potential employers.

A former online student’s internet profile is an extremely significant means of drawing attention to their accomplishments, strong points and main areas of vocational skills. A profile is systematically arranged in a format that is easy for hiring managers that in turns will lead to interviews. Self-promotion and the internet just seem to go together so make online job searches work for you just as many employees have. Online social networking sites are a natural extension for an online student. Using online networking to your advantage to get the career you desire. Just make an effort to keep yourself away from the top 5 mistakes job seekers make online.

Types of Resume for Online Degree Students

While writing a resume for developing a career in a field of your choice, you should write it as effectively as you can irrespective of whether you have completed higher education through online program or traditional medium. You should be honest on your resume and write all facts about your qualification.

Analyze what your employers would be looking for in your resume. You should give proper details about your online degree on your resume. You should indicate from where you have pursued it and that the college is an accredited one.

You should be straightforward that you are opting for online degree instead of traditional degree in order to complete your higher education even while working and choose an employer who acknowledges and appreciates your online degree. You should be proud of your hard work to complete your online degree as these programs have the same credibility as traditional degree programs. It also offers the hands-on experience required to gain the necessary skills for a specific job.

You should not encourage any kind of advice about omitting online degree while making your resume. If you have pursued online degree through accredited online colleges, then it is as good as a traditional course. You should look for a job where your online degree has the same value.

Key Attributes of the Resume

You should include the necessary details on your resume like:

• Relevant contact details
• Achievements
• Educational qualification as well as training through online or traditional education

Therefore, an effective resume can create the first impression about you before an interview with your prospective employer.

1. Funding Online Education is Just like Funding Traditional Education

When searching for ways to fund an online education, all the same factors apply as long as the online degree program is offered by an accredited online college or university and it is properly registered with the right authority. This is crucial so do diligent research before when choosing an online degree program.

2. Scholarships and Grants are the Best Way to Fund Your Online Education

The best way to fund your online education is with scholarships and grants. They are both very similar however they vary in purpose. Typically, scholarships are given based on academic achievement and merit. Grants, most of the time, are based on different qualifications, like; financial need, ethnicity, or geographic location. Many places specialize in helping students find grants and scholarships. A very useful source is the website Fastweb, which is an online database of scholarships and grants.

3. Make Use of Federal Loans and Grants

Federal loans can be used for online education. Federal loans like the Stafford Loans are often packaged with grants and scholarships. Payments for these loans will not start until 6 months after a student finishes or leaves college.

4. Apply to FAFSA as soon as possible

The easiest way to get funding for your online education is apply for financial aid with www.fafsa.ed.gov. It is vital for a student to fill out this application out as soon as possible before the deadlines. The longer an online student waits the less assistance they will receive from financial aid. So, do not wait until the last minute.

5. Be Sure to Check with Your School’s Financial Aid Office

Make sure you contact the college or university’s financial aid office when you are seeking funding for online education. Most schools will assign a specific financial aid counselor to assist students with finding resources to finance their college education and online education is no different.

When you are seeking funding for your online education keep these 5 rules in mind and you would be successful in obtaining financial assistance.

Creativity can Prevent Cheating in Online Exams

Students are very creative when it comes to cheating. Online teachers are still behind in some of the strategies used to cheat in their classrooms. This is what makes cheating so easy. In order for online instructors to beat students at their own game they will have to be just as creative.

Preventing Cheating in an Online Classroom

A good online exam is one that is created to test students’ knowledge and to prevent students from cheating. When exams are designed in such a way, it is extremely difficult for students to cheat whether online or on campus. So online teachers need to be just as creative when designing exams and always keep students guessing which test taking strategy they will be using for each test. Staying one step ahead of students is the key to eliminating cheating online.

Here is why online examinations may not be an easy job for cheaters:

• Each exam may have questions place in different orders.
• Exams and quizzes may have set time limits.
• Online exams are designed in such a way that it is difficult for others to have access to.
• Each question may be different.
• Test taking location is assigned to each student in their hometown.
• Each student may have different test taking schedules.

Cheating in online examinations may not be an easy job for Cheaters, but it is definitely not Impossible to do so.

The Best of Online Education

Flexibility: You choose when and where you want to study – It’s that simple. And you can continue working while reaching your educational goals at the same time.

Attractiveness: Online degree programs are an attractive alternative as they help busy adults balance work, family and other activities.

Reduced overall expenses: There are no travel expenses; no time spent commuting to and from school and overall lower tuition than traditional courses.

Efficiency: Minimizing time-as an online student you are able to register, access the learning and support materials, engage in discussions, give feedback, interact and collaborate with your instructor and fellow online classmates via chat room, email and discussion board.

Designed with the students in mind: Students can continue working while reaching their educational goals at the same time

24/7 accessibility: Round the clock access to support staff, instructors, course work, assignments, and much more.

Increased retention: According to research, most online students have a stronger grasp on the subject matter than their on-campus counterparts.

Reusability: Utilizing the information for multiple purposes such as documentation stored in a single repository can be made available to all.

The Worst of Online Education

Computer problems: Some of the biggest problems with online learning are when the technology just does not function correctly. This can be a major problem and learners can get quite frustrated and discouraged.

Not marketing your Online Education: One of the biggest problems with online degrees is most online degree holders do not know how to market their online degree to its fullest potential and make their online degree work for them.

Employer’s Acceptance: Not all employers may view online degrees as credible, but do not let this prevent you from pursuing your online degree. There are many employers today who are beginning to jump on board – hiring candidates from reputable accredited online institutions.

Accreditation: Some online colleges and institutions may lack the appropriate accreditation so students interested in online programs need to do their research before selecting an online program.

Degree Mills: There are many degree mills operating online. Their diplomas are not worth much more than the paper they are printed on, avoid them. You need to do proper research and make sure the school is legit.

Overall the numerous benefits to online learning far outweigh the bad. If you are considering an online education or if you are already in an online degree program, do not let the bad turn you off from pursuing your online education and accomplishing your academic goals.

Several studies have been conducted by various online education and student bodies to ascertain the reasons behind the failure of some students during their online studies. The studies all point to one common factor of distraction: the wasting of time while studying online. Now, these modes of time wasting vary from one student to another and include:

Excessive time in chat rooms:

While doing an online course, students will spend a lot of time on the internet. Some networking programs such as Windows LIVE Messenger, SKYPE or Yahoo Messenger only require your computer to be logged unto the internet for them to be automatically signed in. Even if you do not sign to a page such as Facebook, your friends can still know you are online. Now many online students do not like to be impolite to their friends and, when contacted, spend hours chatting online instead of studying.

Playing video games:

The internet is buzzing with both free and for-profit video game sites that allow users to either play alone or compete remotely with each other. Some online students easily get caught up in video gaming and before they know it, 3 hours have elapsed that could have been better spent studying.

News addiction:

This affects many adult online students who believe they must catch up on all the latest news from all over the world before they can settle down to study. Therefore, in the first hour and a half, they must surf through the web pages of BBC, CNN, NBC, etc. If this is done two or three times per day, they have already lost almost five hours per day that could have been spent studying.

Computer tweaking:

Now, we all want our computers to perform at their best, but it still does not justify spending hours on the internet searching torrent websites for the latest application that increases your speed or gives you access to some program crack. Some online students also search these sites for books that they think they need but really do not and end up losing a lot of precious time that could have been spent studying.

Talking on the phone:

Some online students have not been able to separate their study time from their leisure time. As a result, they broadcast to their friends “hit me up on the phone, I am home all day studying.” Getting this invitation, their friends will call and they spend hours chatting away about everything but schoolwork. Before they know it, the day has elapsed and that is another valuable day lost from their studies.

Many students opt for online versions of degree programs due to the many benefits they offer. As a result, they can continue their studies without interrupting their daily routine. Other use online degree programs to keep their minds occupied. However, on close examination, one may just realize that their drive for academic excellence was propelled by a mere addiction to online degree programs.

There are many signs that will indicate to students if they are addicted to Online Degree Programs. These include:

1. As an employer, you display a preference to online students:

Even after graduation, you carry your addiction to online degree programs into your professional life. As a result, you show a direct preference to students who have been educated under the same online educational module.

2. Always looking out for course updates:

Although you have already received a degree in a particular area, you are always insistent of having your degree in the latest version. This will allow you to gain knowledge about the latest trends and concepts being promoted within your field.

3. Always promoting the concept of online education:

Although you have not been appointed an official ambassador of online education, you keep bragging about the benefits of online education at every opportunity.

4. You receive emails from various online colleges:

Even though you have no intention of attending a particular online college, you still fill out their online application form just to receive emails about their latest offer. You become satisfied by just being aware what courses are offered by online colleges.

5. You fail deliberately just not to graduate:

For some unexplainable reason, some students want to remain associated with some online college. As a result, the deliberately scupper exams just to get a failing grade. They do this on the premise that they will remain in in their online school.

6. All of you friends are from your online class:

when your entire social life is built upon your online college community, you become so dependent of your online college to the extent of becoming addicted. As a result, just to communicate you must be in a forum governed by your online college.

7. Always searching for an internet connection:

Online degree programs are delivered through the internet. As a result, addicted online degree students are always searching for Wi-Fi or hard wire connections anywhere they go to log online to see if there have been any announcements from their online college.

8. Offer scholarships only to online students:

Although you have the means to offer scholarships to student right across both form of education, you stipulate that only online students should benefit.

Friends, can you think of other signs to tell someone is addicted to online degrees by simply following their daily regime? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Are you an online fish out of the bowl?

Some students that are new to Online Education think that convenience and flexibility mean not much effort and lax course work and when they start to flounder they feel like a fish out of water. A significant number of fresh online students do not realize that it will take lots of effort and time to be a successful online education student.

Online Study Is Different From Campus Life

Online education put more emphasis on students than on teachers. Here student has the burden place upon him to learn from what is made available by the teacher. Online student usually do not have the kind of cordial relationship with their teachers classroom student would have.

No Online Babysitter

A online student must be more aggressive if he is going to succeed. There is no one there to hold the students’ hand and students are also required to grasp difficult concepts by themselves.

Ask Yourself

Can you motivate yourself to work independently with not much interaction and pushing from a teacher or professor? This is just one of the factors you must consider before you become a fish out of water. Online student should be able to stay focused and stick to a certain time table. It may be hard on some to sit by themselves then in a classroom with other students and a teacher as motivators.

Avoid ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ approach

Are you a procrastinator? Then maybe you will end up on table flopping around while the other guppies are swimming around the bowl. An online student must be disciplined enough to set his/her own standards besides being committed to work schedule and coursework. Online student should give the same amount of time for coursework as a campus student would for theirs.

Do You Have What It Take To Be An Online Student?

These are some of the skills you will need to master in order to complete an online degree;

• organizational skills
• reading skills
• writing skills
• typing skills
• computer skills

Being Online Students you will not have much one on one interaction with your teacher, so to make up for this you should be able to fill in gaps with working even more harder to grasp concepts teachers usually clarify to campus students. The communication that you will have with your teachers and other students will mostly be done in written: emails, IM, chat rooms, forums, social networking communities etc. You should be very comfortable using computers & paraphernalia because online education is all about technology & this is how homework and other assignments are handled.

Online Degree Does Not Means Easy Degree

So if you do not want to be part of the 12% that dropout of online classes in the first week. Be prepared online does not means a cakewalk at accredited online colleges

Studying Online

Studying online has many benefits but also some weaknesses. To begin with, online studies are great for those individuals who are employed and do not want to disturb their work schedule to attend school. As a result, they can study from the comfort of their homes or wherever they desire, as long as they have an access to the internet.

Online students are able to revise past lectures as much as they want to ensure they get the true understanding of the lecture. In addition, they can easily contact their lecturer by email to query any discrepancy. Turnaround time at most online colleges is within twenty-four hours so students can expect to be always up to date.

Online students are relieved of the hassles of travel to reach to a particular class on time. They do not have to contend with rush hour and the cost of paying the taxi driver to take shortcuts to get you to school on time. For those who would normally drive themselves to school, the cost of fuel and maintenance associated with commute to school is eliminated.

The course work of online course is more adaptable to changes in the trends of society. Lecturers are always wired into the latest trends in course work delivery and developments in their specialty and are capable of quickly passing on this information to their students.

Finally, most of the popular online colleges are now fully accredited. As a result, online students can earn an accredited online degree with less stress and hassle.

Studying on campus

Many students profess that have not been to college until you study on campus. This statement is based on several factors.

Campus based students always brag about the personal, face-to-face contact they have with their doctors. They term this as an invaluable experience that cannot be replaced by speaking to a doctor over a screen.

Students of campus-based colleges are given the opportunity to attend labs under the direct supervision of their doctor. This is a sour point with online students, as they must find their own resources to conduct labs.
Campus life is said to play an integral part in shaping the personalities of many students. Students are able to join clubs, attend parties, play sports and just interact generally with other students. As a result, they are able to form lifelong friendships, meet their spouses and form alliances for future business ventures.

Studying online is not for everyone. Many individuals experience problems reading from computers let alone sitting and watching a teacher go on and on about something you do not understand. In addition, I you are one of the many students who are lacking on motivation, at an on-campus college, you can easily draw on the strengths of other students.