Online Study Guide Driver Styles

Online Study Guide Driver Styles

Online Study Guide for Driver Personality Styles The University of New England (UNE) is Australia s best online university. It is the 3rd largest, has the equal highest course satisfaction rate, and produces high graduate salaries. UNE has been the leading innovator of flexible study for over 60 years because we re committed to helping busy adults study from anywhere. Online Study Australia ranks UNE as Australia s best online university. The University of New England has maintained our reputation for excellence by again achieving a five-star (maximum) rating for Overall Satisfaction in the 2015 Good Universities Guide. UNE academic staff were also awarded five stars for Teaching Quality. A five-star rating in these categories means that UNE students rated their university experience better than students from 80% of other universities. Online study can be referred to as distance education (sometimes also referred to as off-campus education, or external study) and provides an opportunity for you to study without having to physically attend a campus. At UNE, online study is about flexibility and support that can only be provided by a university that has long understood the challenges faced by adults studying from home. We have three teaching periods (trimesters), commencing in February, July and October: giving students greater choice about when and how much they study each year. How online study works Instead of turning up to a lecture on-campus at a designated time, the course content is provided online for you to access when it suits you each week. It might be a podcast (recorded lecture), a set of readings, questions posed in a discussion board, an online quiz or a video. Your lecturer will guide you through the unit with a weekly plan of study, as well as checking in on the discussion boards or forums. You can communicate with teaching staff via email, online chat or the phone. To make sure your learning can take place when it suits you, UNE provides online facilities which allow you to send questions, submit assignments, order library books, check your grades and access other resources, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also believe that a vital part of being able to study from anywhere is your engagement with the learning community. Communication with your classmates, teaching staff and university support staff will enhance your study experience and ensure that your skills extend beyond just the subject matter. 1

Top 10 tips for you to succeed at online study Understanding your personality is a vital step toward building a more fulfilling career. Now it s time to maximise your strengths and understand how to manage your weaknesses when applying them to study. Online study provides many opportunities to begin or change careers while still meeting your other commitments. These tips will help equip you with the knowledge to make transitioning into and continuing in study positive. Whether you re considering online or on campus study, you can take these keys and apply them to getting the most out of your educational journey. 1. Being Realistic As a Driver you have a natural tendency to take on more because you like to be challenged, you like to get things done sooner rather than later, and you enjoy the fast pace. Most of all you expect to succeed and get results. Make sure you know how much time is required so you can balance study with other commitments. For example, if you work full-time and have a family or an active social life, don t fool yourself into thinking you can manage full-time study as well. It s important not to over extend your commitment and take on more that you can cope with. Life is constantly changing and while you maybe in a position now to do more, most courses are 3 4 years so you need to take a long term view and factor in potential changes. 2. Staying motivated Online learning suits Drivers who are self-starters and who really want to learn, but it can be also be a challenge because the motivation and discipline all has to come from you. As a Driver we expect you to be focused and results oriented. You don t procrastinate which is in your favour when it comes to staying motivated to online study. Do it now is an excellent motto for Drivers and will help you complete the course by not delaying your assignments. Drivers are motivated by new challenges and problem solving, ideal qualities for online learning. Online study gives you the freedom to do things the way you want and to be in control of your study program. 3. Managing time The most common culprit of free time is TV. Most adults spend about 20 hours per week watching TV. We are not saying you should never watch TV; but suggest that you give up watching the TV shows that do not really interest you to free up your time. Reducing your TV time by 10 hours per week will result in 10 hours of free time to devote to your online education. Ten hours of free time per week is enough to complete that long-delayed dream of earning a university degree. Set aside time for online learning just as you would for attending classes. Give yourself ample time to sit down and read through your materials, so you understand everything clearly. Don t be in hurry to get everything done immediately. Read course assignments carefully and don t assume anything. Be aware that drivers value completion, and often jump in to a task before fully understanding the requirements Identify the time of day you will devote to studying. Ask yourself: are you a morning person or a night owl? Then schedule in your study at a time when you re performing at your peak. Although you have the convenience of not having to attend classes, you will still have to set aside regular time for studying. Make sure you commit a certain number of hours per week to your course. 2

4. Goal setting Learning online is a discipline and to stay focused you must set goals. Setting goals is part of human nature, and Drivers are particularly goal oriented. However, even with set goals there are times when we do not meet them. One of the reasons we fail is self-control. Self-control is the ability to persevere and stay on course despite temptations, distractions and the demands of competing goals. As a Driver type person you are more likely to achieve your goals because the end justifies the means. You ll do everything you can to succeed. To help get you started, spell out exactly why you are studying, what s the purpose, what s the outcome and how will you benefit. Set the bar high. Succeeding at something hard is more pleasurable and increases your self-worth. For your personality, succeeding at something that is easy is barely worth the effort. Once you ve decided on the course and allocated the time to study, set your goals for each semester. What do you what to achieve in the time available. As a Driver, your goals must be specific. You need to focus on exactly what you want to achieve and it should be performance based. Make sure your goals are results oriented. Reward yourself on results. Each step of the course program is a goal to achieve. Whilst you have a big picture view of where you want to be, you should also break down the course into distinct tasks so you remain focussed and feel you are achieving to keep you focused and on track. 5. How you learn Drivers are common-sense learners. We all learn differently and our brain processes information according to four basic questions we ask ourselves. Why, What, How and If. Drivers ask how, e.g. How will I use this in my life? You take new information in by thinking logically and testing what you ve learnt in the real world and how it will be useful to you. For Drivers if what you learn is not applied, it is not learnt. If you can t connect with the subject you might find it difficult to learn about it. We recommend that you find out as much as you can as to its relevance as early on as you can. Discuss with your tutor and understand the link between what you re learning and why it s in the syllabus. Establish the link between theory and practice. Because you learn best by doing, work out how you can implement what you ve just learnt as soon as practical. This will engage you and you ll see the result of your new knowledge. This will encourage you to master the course and become an expert. If you can watch a video on the subject. Drivers rely on their senses and learn through visual experience. For online study you ll be required to read a fair bit. Reading is not your preferred way of learning. Drivers often do their best thinking when they are talking, so connect with other students through the online forums and with the tutor and lecturer. If you get stuck, use your problem solving skills to work out a way around. We know you won t give up, it s not in your nature. 6. Find a study space that s yours As a Driver it s important for you to have a place to study. The first step is to look around your house and find a place to claim as your own. If you are sharing the house with partner, friends or family it s important that you are distanced from distractions. Being a Driver you want to be in control and having your own study place will ensure you focus on the course. After you ve claimed your study space, make sure everyone understands it is your study spot. 3

7. Planning Planning is the key to Drivers doing their best work. You like to have clear priorities and objectives. You often start with the big-picture in mind and then break into bite size chunks. Write a plan and follow it. Organise your study at the start. Planning helps you to meet deadlines and work efficiently. 8. Managing stress and conflict We all experience stress and conflict. It s common for stress to be the cause of conflict. As a Driver studying online you have a number of forces that you can t control as much as you d like to and not being in control is one of your stress triggers. Be aware that your normal expectation is for things to move along at a quick pace. Be careful that your need to keep things moving doesn t result in your being too hasty and too quick to complete and submit your assignments. Slow down and review. Don t assume. If you re not sure about something contact your tutor to clarify. Misunderstandings can lead to poor results and this can create stress and conflict. 9. Communication Online study communication is mostly written. As a Driver you prefer verbal communication so this is an area that you need to improve your skills. The best way for you to manage this is to first make a list of the topics or points you wish to make. Then using these as headings expand the content to demonstrate your depth of knowledge. As a Driver you like to keep things short and to the point but being too brief will not display your knowledge and understanding of the topic. Learn to expand your ideas by using examples and supporting references to convey meaning. 10. Connect with your tutor or lecturer As a Driver, it s important to establish a relationship with the course tutor or lecturer. Building rapport will help you to clarify anything you re not sure of and to turn to when you experience difficulties. Online doesn t mean alone, so make use of the people resources that are available to. This will give you the feeling of control and being in charge of your destiny. It provides an important element for Drivers and that is one of trust. To succeed you need to have people around you that you trust and can depend on. 4