Although the adult learner can not enjoy the day to day interaction of a traditional classroom. One distinct challenge some students face when learning online is retention of the course content. I have found, as both an online student and online instructor, that finding a way to apply the concepts helps online students retain the information. I call it the ‘use it or lose it’ technique. I encourage my students to apply the use it or lose it model in the following ways:
1. As soon as they learn a concept or complete one of my course modules to put the knowledge to work through collaboration at place of employment.
2. Applying concepts through the use of the online threaded discussion. Concepts can be interpreted and restated in each student’s own words in an active dialogue with others.
3. As simple as it sounds, taking handwritten notes from the online text helps many online students master content.