L9 2 4

=Students are provided with support in developing time management skills. =

Evidence
Time management for e-learning differs from conventional learning. Whereas a conventional course timetable, which sets out attendance times, largely determines the learning plan, an e-learning course presents an estimate of the anticipated hours of study required and the duration of the course. The learning plan is left to the learner to schedule and manage: A conventional course provides a supportive but limiting structure, e-learning is more flexible but less supportive (Clarke, 2004, p. 122). Clarke emphasises the following as points that e-learning students need to consider: Course structure; personal objectives and schedule; personal priorities; individual learning style preference; good learning practices; health and safety; family responsibilities (pp. 122-3). Clarke also discusses practical ways to implement personal learning structures and gives activity exercises and examples of how to use computer applications to aid time management. He emphasises the crucial importance of planning to ensure productivity and to reduce stress (p. 127).

When interrogated, students claim that many factors contribute to unmanageable workloads (Giles 2007). The main factors cited by students as reasons for workload being perceived as unmanageable are: 1. Assessments all due around the same time 2. Part time employment 3. Problems with time management 4. Difficulty knowing what to study (N.b. that the list is extensive, these are merely the top four reasons) Interestingly, there is a sense in which 1 and 2 may reduce to 3.

Resources
Pirani (2004) claims that because instructors and students frequently underestimate the amount of time needed to create, adapt, teach, and take an e-learning course that time-management resources should be a priority. Resources such as a time-management web page, informal workshops, or orientation sessions to outline time-management strategies and tips could help students address this problem.

Support can also be built into the course design itself as students can be guided through learning activities with such statements as, ‘spend no more than 2 hours on…’ or ‘write about a page of note about…’ for further examples see: http://www.ntu.ac.uk/elearning/document_uploads/81374.pdf