Online learning has become a central part of today’s education. Platforms like Edmentum, IXL, and others provide the amazing flexibility to study whenever and wherever you want. While this freedom is a major advantage, it also requires more self-discipline to stay on track. It can be easy to fall behind without a traditional classroom schedule. This guide will share effective strategies to help you succeed in your online courses. We’ll begin with general tips that apply to any online learning setting and then explore specific approaches for popular platforms like Edmentum, Edgenuity, MyStatLab, and IXL.
Top Strategies to Succeed in Online Learning Platforms
Before we unpack the specifics of each platform, let’s lay a solid foundation with some universal strategies that will set you up for success in any online learning environment.
- Create a Command Center: Set up a dedicated, quiet, and organized study space. A specific spot for learning helps you focus and signals to your brain that it’s time to work.
- Master Your Time: Use a calendar to schedule study sessions and track deadlines. Break large assignments into smaller, manageable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- Be an Active Participant: Engage in discussion forums, connect with classmates, and ask your instructors questions. Active participation improves understanding and makes learning more enjoyable.
- Eliminate Distractions: Turn off your phone and consider using app or website blockers during study time. A focused environment is crucial for effective online learning.
- Don’t Study Alone: If you’re struggling, reach out to instructors, classmates, or tutors. Building a support network is key, and most platforms have built-in communication tools to help.
Now that you have these foundational strategies, let’s explore how to get the most out of specific online learning platforms.
Edmentum
Edmentum is a comprehensive platform that acts as your personalized digital classroom, often delivered through its Courseware or Apex Learning products. Making the most of it means understanding how to use its tools to your advantage.
- Take Pretests Seriously: At the start of a new topic, you’ll often get a pretest. Don’t just click through it! If you score well, you can “test out” of lessons you already know. This is the single best way to save time and focus only on what you need to learn.
- Use the Guided Notes: In each lesson, you’ll usually find “Guided Notes.” These are printable or fillable outlines that match the lesson content. They help you pull out the key information, which makes studying for the Mastery Tests much easier.
- Don’t Skip the Tutorials: It’s tempting to jump straight to the graded test, but the tutorials are where the real learning happens. They have interactive examples, videos, and e-reading sections. If you rush past them, you’ll miss the concepts you need to pass the final test. When you’re really stuck, looking up specific Edmentum Answers can help you understand a tricky concept and get back on track.
- Master the Review and Retake Loop: Edmentum is built on a simple idea: learn until you master the topic. If you don’t pass a Mastery Test, the system will lock it. Don’t panic! It just means you need to go back and review the lesson tutorials. Once you’ve done that, you can try the test again. Use this process to your advantage.
Edgenuity
Edgenuity is a highly structured online platform built around a sequence of video lessons and activities. You’ll typically work through a course in a specific order: watch a video lecture, complete a few tasks, and then take a quiz. Since it’s often used for earning course credits, staying on schedule is a big part of the experience. Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Actively Use the eNotes Tool: Every lesson has a built-in “eNotes” feature. Don’t just passively watch the video lectures. Take detailed notes, either in a notebook or on your computer. This will help you absorb the information and prepare for exams. Edgenuity often provides guided notes to help you out.
- Keep Your Pacing in the Green: Your Edgenuity dashboard has a progress bar that is color-coded: blue means you’re ahead, green is on track, and red means you’re falling behind. Your main goal is to keep that bar green. The Assignment Calendar is your personalized roadmap to success in Edgenuity. It tells you exactly what you need to do each day to stay on track.
- Review Before You Click ‘Start’ on a Test: In Edgenuity, you often can’t go back and review your answers on a quiz or test once it’s submitted. So, before you begin any assessment, take a few minutes to look over your eNotes and the lesson summary. The platform usually offers a review activity right before a test—make sure you complete it thoroughly.
IXL
IXL is a skills-based platform with what feels like an endless number of questions for math, language arts, and other subjects. Its core feature is the “SmartScore,” a number from 1-100 that measures your mastery of a specific skill. Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Understand the SmartScore Game: Your goal isn’t always to hit 100. Most teachers consider a SmartScore of 80 to be proficient. The jump from 80 to 90 is tougher, and the final stretch from 90 to 100 (the “challenge zone”) is where the questions get very difficult. Aim for the score your teacher assigns (usually 80 or 90) and don’t stress about hitting a perfect 100 unless you’re up for the challenge.
- Don’t Waste Your Mistakes: When you get a question wrong, IXL provides a detailed, step-by-step explanation of the correct answer. This is the most important learning feature on the site. Take a second to pinpoint exactly where you made your error. Was it a simple calculation mistake or a concept you misunderstood? When an explanation isn’t clicking, looking into resources that provide IXL answers can help you break down the method for a similar problem.
- Prep Before You Practice: Before diving into a new skill, look for the “Learn with an example” link at the top. This gives you a quick, guided walkthrough of a sample question. Spending one minute on this beforehand can save you from the frustration of making early mistakes that drop your SmartScore.
MyStatLab
If you’re taking a statistics course, there’s a good chance you’re using MyStatLab. This platform is your online hub for almost everything: homework, quizzes, and sometimes even exams. It’s tied directly to your textbook and is designed to give you endless practice with immediate feedback, which is crucial for a subject like stats where one small error can throw off a whole answer.
Here’s how to stay ahead of the curve:
- Use the Learning Aids: Every homework problem has a set of powerful helpers like “Help Me Solve This” and “View an Example.”
- “View an Example” shows you a completed, similar problem. Use this first for a quick hint.
- “Help Me Solve This” walks you through the exact steps with a new set of numbers. It’s an amazing teacher, but if you use it for every problem, you won’t learn to solve them on your own. Try a problem yourself first, and only use this when you’re truly stuck.
- Master StatCrunch: StatCrunch is the powerful statistical software built directly into MyStatLab. For nearly any problem with a dataset, you can click a small blue icon to instantly load the data into StatCrunch.Let StatCrunch do the number-crunching to find the p-value, regression equation, or standard deviation so you can focus on what the numbers actually mean.
- Practise the Sample Tests: Your professor will likely assign “Sample Tests” or “Practice Exams” before the real thing. Do them in a timed, exam-like setting without your notes. The format and question types are often nearly identical to the actual exam, making it the best possible preview of what to expect.
Conclusion
Success in online learning comes down to having the right approach. It requires a different mindset than a physical classroom, but you can do very well by being proactive, organized, and resourceful. Make the most of the flexibility that online courses offer, use the specific tools built into each platform, and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you get stuck. By applying these strategies, you’re well-equipped to navigate your coursework and achieve your academic goals, one assignment at a time.
