APU Careers & Learning Online Learning

Reading for Clarity in Assignments

reading-for-clarity-online-educationBy Trinita Gay
Online Learning Tips, Guest Contributor

Can difficult reading material become easier to comprehend?

Online learning may not only be stressful, but challenging. The reading material can be outright confusing as multiple chapter assignments get thrown at you with no consideration to the level of difficulty. Extreme demands with short time periods lead you to skim the materials as quickly as possible. In doing this, you hope to remember as much information as you can.

Imagine your next online reading assignment is at an extreme level of difficulty. The textbook requirements for this week are outright incomprehensible. How do you read for clarity with difficult material?

Quality vs Quantity

The quality of your reading is vital to learning. Comprehension of material covered is deemed more beneficial than reading the text cover-to-cover and having little understanding of what was read.

Tips for Understanding

In order to avoid basic comprehension errors, a few quick additions can make reading a lot easier.

  1. Make sure you set up your environment so that it is conducive to learning. Get rid of any distractions and excess noise by choosing a quiet place to work from.
  1. Pace yourself according to what works best with your schedule. Don’t try to read everything at once, but break reading assignments apart and finish them piece-by-piece throughout the week.
  1. Have a dictionary handy so that you’re ready and able to define any words that may be of difficulty. Vocabulary building practices allow reading to flow more properly.
  1. Form a study group or chat with your classmates so that you can become familiar with the text. Additional details of the topic can provide better clarity of ideas.
  1. Use the additional resources the instructor provides – the alternative articles and assignments are not just available for those who want to extend their knowledge, but for enrichment purposes. Pull from them, as needed, or switch out an assignment for the alternative one. You may find these choices useful.

Regardless of the circumstances and time constraints, any material can be grasped by simply tweaking your perspective. Perusing new information can be a simple task if provided with the right resources and environment. Remember to consult with others – even your online instructor (as needed). Online classes were created for quick progression and your program was made to fit your life’s demand.

About the Author:

Trinita Gay is an instructor in Kissimmee, Florida. She received her B.S. in Communications at MSU. She has her M.S. from an online university and is working on her M.A. in Creative Writing. Originally from Washington, DC, she relocated to Florida in 2008. Trinita has been involved in online learning since 2005.

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