Studying and learning online

Whether you want to do a tapestry course, improve your language skills or get a degree or qualification, there probably is an online course to meet your needs.

Learn at home or at your library

Online learning offers students the advantage of being able to learn in the comfort of their own home, often at their own pace. Libraries provide free internet and computer access.

What do you want to learn?

Establish the kind of course you want to do and your learning objectives. Do you just want to know a bit more about a certain subject or do you actually want to do an online degree with a qualification at the end?

If it is the first option, you can search the internet for courses on the subject in which you are interested. Many are free, some require some form of payment but, in most cases, you will be able to learn at your own pace.

If you want to do a degree at a certain institution, without actually attending the college or university, there are a few other things you need to consider, such as meeting deadlines, avoiding distractions and your personal learning preferences.

Online learning resources

Most tertiary learning institutions offer some of their courses by distance. The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand also has an online campus offers a wide range of online courses.

The BBC has an excellent online learning site, as does the ABC.

The library also has lots of useful resources:

• Computer-assisted instruction resources
• Interactive multimedia resources
• Learning section of this web site
• Safari technical books. Use at a library or enter your library card & password / PIN.