How to be a great online learner

Toolkit: How to be a great online learner

Do you use the free online resources on the TeachingEnglish website to support your professional development as a teacher?

This printable poster, which is part of our professional development toolkit, helps you get the most from your online learning. It offers a checklist of points to follow based on five key principles for effective learning – empowerment, purposefulness, resourcefulness, interaction and reflection.  

Download poster – How to be a great online learner

Watch the video below to find out more about how this checklist will help you get the most from your online learning.

Transcript – How to be a great online learner

NARRATOR: How to be a great online learner. [Uplifting background music] [On screen: How to be a great online learner]

As teachers, you facilitate learning every day. But what about your own professional development? Let's look at how TeachingEnglish can help you learn online in a way that works for you. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, we have options that will suit your needs. Use TeachingEnglish to help you follow five key principles for effective online learning [On screen: 5 key principles Morris, 2019; Louws et al., 2017].

Be empowered [On screen: Be empowered]. Make decisions about what you learn by identifying your professional development needs. Then choose a pathway that suits you and the time you have.

Be purposeful [On screen: Be purposeful]. Choose what to learn based on what you need in your teaching [On screen: How can I use AI in my lessons?]. Use the TeachingEnglish search tool to find relevant teaching and learning resources.

Be resourceful [On screen: Be resourceful]. Save resources that resonate with your needs and interests. Keep a reminder of events or important dates.

Be interactive [On screen: Be interactive]. Connect with other educators, get support and share your learning in one of our online communities. Ask questions [On screen: How do I manage large classes?] and share your own experiences [On screen: In my class in Nigeria, I put my 80 learners into smaller groups.].

Be reflective [On screen: Be reflective]. Check in with yourself [On screen: What went well and what didn't?] and what you're learning [On screen: What did I learn?]. Use a reflective cycle to apply new ideas, assess their impact and adjust your approach. TeachingEnglish supports you to become a great online learner: empowered [On screen: Empowered], purposeful [On screen: Purposeful], resourceful [On screen: Resourceful], interactive [On screen: Interactive] and reflective [On screen: Reflective] in your professional development. Because great teachers never stop learning [On screen: Great teachers never stop learning].

Poster text

How to be a great online learner

To be a successful online learner, you need to be motivated, organised and able to manage your own learning. Use the checklist below and TeachingEnglish resources to help you follow five key principles for effective learning.

Empowerment

• I am able to make my own decisions about what I learn.
• I know when and how I learn best and plan accordingly.  
• I have the confidence to change my plan if needed.  

Purposefulness  

• I have clear learning goals that match my teaching needs.  
• I am aware of current TeachingEnglish themes, courses and events and how they fit with my interests and priorities.  
• I set small goals, like reading one online article or finishing one course module.  

Resourcefulness  

• I use at least three learning resources, like courses, articles, or online communities.  
• I plan my study time and set myself deadlines.  
• I evaluate my learning tools every three months to see if they still help me.  

Interaction  

• I take part in online discussions or communities of practice.  
• I share my learning with an online community or teachers in my context.  
• I ask for feedback from other teachers or my learners at least once per course.  

Reflection  

• I check my progress every month and change my learning plan if needed.  
• I write down important things I learn from articles, webinars, courses, etc.  
• I keep a learning journal and update it regularly.