Learning with Online and Mobile Technologies: A Student Survival Guide

Technology has become a necessary and everyday part of studying. This book starts with effective practice in learning, and shows how technology can support that good practice. The authors show you the many ways in which online and mobile technologies can be used for study and give you guidance on how best to use them for learning in higher education, whether that is at college or university, or within your workplace. This wide-ranging survival guide combines advice on effective learning, with practical tips on using technology successfully to give you a smart approach to accessing, recording, sharing and revising information and knowledge. An efficient learning strategy with technologies will help you develop independence and self direction, so that when faced with a bewildering choice of web-based resources you are confident about how much to read, and when to stop. The approaches, skills and techniques discussed in this book will be of value to you not only in your formal course of study, but also in any other learning you might wish to undertake in future. In an increasingly competitive job market this will also be attractive to prospective employers.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction; Student voices; Practicalities; Listening, reading and sense-making; Listening, reading and sense-making: a survival guide; Communicating and community; Communicating and community: a survival guide; Searching and researching; Searching and researching: a survival guide; Writing and presenting; Writing and presenting: a survival guide; Appendices; Index.

About the Author :
Janet Macdonald was Learning and Teaching Coordinator (elearning) for the Open University in Scotland. She has a doctorate in online course design and assessment and has published extensively on online course design, online tutoring and the use of online communities for professional development, including the popular textbook Blended Learning and Online Tutoring which has recently been published in a Second Edition. She has first hand experience of being both a distance student and tutor, and now provides staff development for others. Linda Creanor is Development Director for Professional Practice in the Caledonian Academy, a centre for educational development, research and scholarship at Glasgow Caledonian University. She has been involved in a range of national and European e-learning projects as a researcher, designer, evaluator and consultant, and has presented and published widely. She recently led a study on the learner experience of e-learning in which learners from across the UK described their approaches and attitudes towards using technology effectively for learning. Linda is a trustee and past president of the UK's Association for Learning Technology (ALT) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Review :
'...Aimed at all learners - whether distance, campus based or blend - Learning with Online and Mobile Technologies is cleverly and creatively organised...this is a unique and worthwhile resource.' Alex Moseley, University of Leicester UK '...The book makes easy reading and is not lengthy, so it can be browsed through in an evening and read in more detail as the short chapters and their survival guides are requested...' - Ariadne '...an accessible and comprehensive book...Helpfully structured into complementary sections on each study topic - one on facts and theory, closely followed by the student's survival guide for each - this is the sort of book you'll want to read through once and then keep close by on the desk as a reference to consult time and again. Not just as you encounter new tools during your course, but to check on your learning style and fine-tune skills.' - Platform, The OU Community Online '...The chapters show how people use various technologies in teaching and learning in higher education, and then provide tips...useful for beginners at the undergraduate level, and it can be a recommended text for learners studying through online mode.' Sanjaya Mishra, Reader in Distance Education, Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education, India, BJET Journal 'A timely, helpful and easily readable book for any student wanting to get the most from the Internet and their mobile device.' - Niall Sclater Director of Learning Innovation, Open University 'This book is fantastic, especially for a student just coming to University. It pulls together nicely what university learning is all about and gives you that essential point of reference for all those tasks that seem daunting such as taking notes in a lecture or beginning to resource an assignment - I wish I had something like this when I first arrived.' - Sara Milne, Vice President Student Development, Students Association, Glasgow Caledonian University 'The Chapter on Writing and Presenting gives valuable information on the tools that can be used for academic writing online. The section on which tools can be used, for example, word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software are particularly useful and provide students with best practice hints and tips.' - Carla Munro, student 'The text is easy to read, with boxes giving summaries of research on learning for those who are interested in finding out more about theories of learning, useful quotes from students describing tools that have helped them in their studies, and web links to free tools such as mind mapping software and file sharing websites.' - Rachel Leslie, student 'Chapter 3 offers really useful advice about the equipment you might need and where you might access this, including advice on planning for any difficulties that you might encounter. It gives advice on planning your studies to make best use of your time and the technologies you will be using and offers a list of resources for developing the skills required.' - Maria McCrea, educational adviser 'The chapter 'Communicating and Community' really shows how varied and useful online communication tools are; it clearly explains how well they can be applied to learning and tutor and peer support when studying.' - Clare Fenton, student 'The authors clearly understand my needs as a student. The advice given by the book was relevant and easily applicable to real-life situations. I will be able to use the helpful hints and tips to improve my work straightaway.' - Jonathan Hickie, student 'Chapter 7, Communicating and Community 'a survival guide' proves to be just that, by clearly and thoughtfully steering you through the various stages, potential pitfalls and good practice about communication generally as well as how to use various online communication tools when studying. As a tutor, I regularly use online communication tools and I'll refer students to this chapter to help allay their fears, build on their existing c