Graduate level students are expected to acquire academic skills that would enable them to study independently and productively. At the university level, students come from diverse backgrounds and culture, and for that reason, they will have a variety of skills differing from each other. Some skills would already be known to students while some they would have to inculcate to progress and learn successfully.
The aim of this assignment is to highlight the essential academic skills and advantages of online learning. Firstly, this paper will discuss the core academic skills. In agreement with UCL (2017), I am of the view that a student should be able to systematize their life in an efficient manner so that they have sufficient time to study. They should acquire the habit of allocating quality time to reading and researching and then drafting the significantly important notes for an easier reference. I believe a student must practice to assess their research critically and should present their arguments in a scholarly manner to put across their ideas meaningfully for their readers. Another essential requirement, in my opinion, is to have exceptional writing skills to validate one’s findings based on authentic evidence and by correctly citing and referencing. In today’s dynamic world we also must have the characteristic to contribute to group work productively.
Moving on to the manifold benefits of online learning, I completely support Watkins (2014) philosophy, “eLearning courses can offer learners both the opportunities and resources that are necessary to build useful strategies, skills, and techniques for adapting to the online classroom” (p.65). This medium of education teaches a student to balance their studies with family life and work. For myself, the advantages of online studies are multiple as emphasized by Writers (2012). I think eLearning offers flexibility as one can study on their pace from anywhere in the world at any time by avoiding the commute.
The most exciting fact for me is that education has no boundaries now. Today we can select from a huge range of courses around the world that might not be available locally and can globally access expertise for full-time where all the information is up-to-date. Many students are not familiar with computers, so this serves as an excellent opportunity to hone their technical skills. It is also a suitable option for the busy professionals to advance in their career by pursuing studies without having to quit their job. I can relate to the shy students who find it hard to express their ideas in the conventional classroom. This mode of study offers them to share and provides global networking. Students like me can get a boost in their confidence with the increased interactions and group discussions. Online learning promotes group work so you master at team working and this quality is well-appreciated by employers these days as businesses are growing globally.
I would conclude my paper with a quote by Albert Einstein, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”
