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When I first started college, I felt
incredibly nervous. For years, I had worked hard so I would be able to attend a
prestigious university, but when I finally made my way to the ivory tower, I
felt horribly inadequate. I constantly wondered if I would be able to handle
all the challenges that college would throw at me; if I would meet a group of
classmates I could successfully work with; and if I would know what
technological tools to utilize when it came time to study for an exam.
To ease my worries, I decided to ask one
of my favorite professors for advice. One day after class, I nervously
approached my U.S. history teacher and asked if he had any tips on how to study
for his fill-in-the-blank exam. Upon hearing my timid inquiry, his kind face
lit up and he gently responded, "Why don't you form a study group?
Students who study in groups usually tend to do better in my class."
I took my professor's advice to heart: I
reached out to students in the class and formed a small study group.
Collectively, we used a number of different e-learning tools to help us all
prepare for all his difficult exams. In the years that followed, I learned that
studying in groups with e-learning tools is perhaps the most efficient way to
prepare for difficult exams. For those of you who commonly study in groups,
here are three useful e-learning devices you can utilize to help you prepare
for all those college exams.
YouTube
Videos
Sometimes there will be questions that
even a group of intelligent college students can't answer. I know there were
many times my group members couldn't grasp a number of key concepts and
difficult theories. Whenever we all reached our whit's end, however, we'd
utilize the magic of YouTube videos, which are surprisingly helpful in both
teaching and learning. Believe it or not, many professors and teachers utilize
YouTube to distribute helpful videos and unique tutorials that curious students
can watch and study for free. You might be skeptical about what you can truly
learn from an Internet video, but if you don't believe me, why don't you test
it out for yourself? You might be surprised what you find.
Google
Docs
I've used Google Docs for many years and
I've never grown tired of this amazing
tool. Not only is Google Docs wonderful for sharing documents with other
people, it's also great for using in group collaboration projects. Whenever I'd
have an intensive college exam coming up, I'd ask my group members to upload
their personal notes so I could combine them into one large group document that
everyone could view and contribute to. Within this single document, we'd all
insert questions, comments, concerns, messages, etc. that helped each other
study more effectively. Studying group notes helps open our eyes to ideas and
concepts we may individually overlooked that our other group members pick up
on. It's also useful because it allows you to study independently as well.
Dropbox
Dropbox is similar to Google Docs,
except it doesn't have group collaboration tools. Dropbox, however, allows you
to send an array of varied document formats to fellow Dropbox users, including
lecture recordings, PowerPoint presentations, high-resolution images, and a
numerous other useful materials. The amount of data you're able to send along
to other users varies across different price points, but truth be told, the
free Dropbox space you receive is probably more than enough for what you'll
need to send to your group members.
E-learning is an evolving tool that many
college students are just getting a grasp on. If you're attempting to prepare
for your exams in groups, try utilizing YouTube videos, Google Docs, and
Dropbox to help you out.
Maria Rainier is a freelance blogger and
writer for an online degrees blog.
She is interested in all things concerned with higher education and is
particularly passionate about technology in the classroom.
Please share your comments or questions with her.
Please share your comments or questions with her.
