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Education and Reference Resources

On this page, you'll find fantastic resources to help you build your education, find the right classes, and learn new things. It’s time to sharpen your skills.

How to Choose the Right Online Class

You may choose to take an online class to finish up your degree or learn a new skill. Perhaps your job requires it. Other times, you may just want to learn something interesting. Taking an online class is a fantastic way to do just that. The question is, though, how can you choose the right online class that’s worth your time?

To help you make the right decision, consider these simple tips. They are the easiest way for you to ensure you’re investing in the right online class for your needs.

Review the Curriculum

The best way to find out if a class is right for you is to ensure you review the curriculum. This allows you to see exactly what will be taught as a part of the class. That way, you can make comparisons between more than one class to find one that is right for your needs. The curriculum should be up to date. If you’re unsure about the topics you’re most interested in, contact the school to inquire. Don’t assume what you need to learn will be included.

Check Teacher Reviews

There are various sites you can learn about professors on, and many of these tools include reviews about online teachers. They can give you insight into how well the teacher teaches. They can also provide you with insight into the overall learning style that is provided. Is the class beneficial? Does it offer the most up-to-date information for the topics you are interested in? What is the result for students who take the course?

Learn About the School Itself

It’s also important to understand the school or the provider of the class. What type of education do they offer? Do they offer quality content and up-to-date information? The key is to learn about the steps the school takes to actually improve the quality of the education they offer to continuously meet student needs. Is the learning environment positive? What support services does it provide? If you plan to take more than one course, does the school offer the next level of education you need?

Look for User Reviews

You’ll also find that, unlike many traditional colleges, it’s easy to find out about schools and their individual courses online. You can look for reviews and explore the wide range of insights they offer, including the quality of the content and the way the school prepares students for the real world. Find out as much as possible about what others have to say about the specific educational program you’re considering

Research Tips

Whether you are writing a paper for a class or researching for your thesis, it’s not always easy to find great content online. There’s plenty of information out there. That doesn’t mean all of the information out there is accurate or even worth your investment of time. How can you find the information you need fast? Consider a few simple tips.

Give Yourself Time

You’re most likely to make a mistake when researching or become frustrated with the process if you’re researching at the last minute. Give yourself some time to compare several options, to look at various angles, and to vet your sources. You don’t want to be rushed into finding the information you need.

Don't Skip the Library

Yes, the internet has everything you think you need, but the reality is you’ll also find a great deal of resources at the library to help you. The most important type of tools at the library are the librarians and research assistants available. They can often help you find resources both in the library as well as online. They can help you to navigate the complexity of scholarly text and give you insight into how to gather information. Most importantly, you’ll have support that you may need for more complicated topics.

Write Out Questions

While you’ll likely need to create an outline that organizes your research paper and gives you the ability to present information in a meaningful way, start with questions. For example, if you need to find information on a specific topic, ask questions about that topic from a variety of angles. Within your outline, jot down the most important questions that you have for that specific topic. That way, you have tools to help you navigate your research and help you to pursue a variety of avenues.

Consider Different Views

This can be difficult, but it’s critical to presenting the full picture. You need to consider all angles of a topic. If you believe one thing is the truth, look at the opposite. What data is out there that helps to show that the opposite opinion or belief is accurate? Then, use your skills to research both angles to determine which is the best outcome.

If you are having trouble with this step, consider an alternative option. Ask someone else for their view. Why do they not believe the question or hypothesis? What do they know about it? By better understanding their view, you gain more insight into topics that you can research to flesh out the process. It opens the door for more thorough strategies.

Verify and Be Objective About Your Sources

No matter what the topic is, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is trusting your source without doing further research. Anyone can Google anything. To know if the information you’re reading is accurate, consider your source. Start with understanding their objective. Why are they providing this information? Could there be any bias introduced by this organization providing information to you? For example, if a company manufactures a product that solves a problem that it’s speaking about, the data it presents may try to encourage its view and its overall product sales.

Sometimes, there is an unconscious bias present, too. It’s up to you to learn as much as you can about the provider of the information before you move forward with using their information.

Keep a Log of Your Research as You Go

Creating your bibliography or even just a list of the sources you used can provide you with a way to go back to verify information as you go. It can also help you to document your sources for proof later. You don’t want to have to go through your paper another time to do this again. Create a summary of your source as well, so you can quickly re-read what information the source provided when the time comes for you to write your paper.

Keep in mind that as you research your paper or develop your evidence, you’ll want to carefully consider the right manner of documenting your sources based on what the teacher or other party expects. There are various ways for you to do so, but the most important information needs to be included, dated, and even photographed if it’s very specific.

Researching can be fun when it allows you to explore a wide range of ways to look at information. Take the time to explore a variety of sources and various views on a topic to get a better idea of what to include in your final draft. It’s well worth the extra time and work put in when your paper is sound.

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