BENEFIT FOR STUDENTS

By becoming literate and knowing how to use a few programs you satisfy some of your immediate needs, but literacy lacks the more comprehensive knowledge base needed in order for you to grow and adapt when technology changes. Literacy, according to the National Research Council Report, lacks staying power. That's why FITness, or fluency, is more ambitious. FITness focuses on a set of IT skills, capabilities, and concepts that will empower you to learn on your own and grow as IT advances.

Even if you have already mastered some IT fundamentals and consider yourself computer literate, FIT will enable you to (1) use IT today and (2) become a lifelong IT learner in the face of impending technological change in the future. For example:

• Have you ever felt more than a few steps behind the current technology trends?
• Are you unsure of what Information Technology is, and how it can benefit you in both your personal and professional life?
• Do you want to keep abreast of current trends in technology?

If you answered "yes" to any or all these questions, then take this course and become a FIT person, as this course was made for you!

The BENEFIT course provides some additional tools to help you succeed in this online course without the guidance of an instructor: My Progress Page, Study Strategies, and Getting the Most from BENEFIT Videos.

MY PROGRESS PAGE

A special tool, My Progress Page, will help you meet your FITness goals while studying independently online. This tool will assist you in tracking your progress and in staying on track so that you can complete the course within your chosen time frame. For example My Progess Page includes features you can select that allow you to set a schedule and meet your goals.

STUDY STRATEGIES

Becoming FIT, like becoming physically fit, is an important goal that requires some effort. Fluency will take some time each week to study, absorb, try the exercises and revisit the material. Pacing is everything, so set aside some time to study every week. If you make steady progress, you will become confident and learn even more. Learning Information Technology is like learning any new subject. It takes concentration, exposure to the material, repetition, and practice to retain and apply what you have learned. Soon you will be applying what you learn to everyday tasks. Like learning a foreign language, immersing yourself in the IT culture. Learning its terms and applying your knowledge are the keys to becoming more and more fluent!

Time

This online course was directly developed from the five-credit classroom version offered at the University of Washington. As a result, completing the course demands a rigorous time consideration. As a general guide, you can expect to invest a total of 130-180 hours in studying and other activities, spread over eleven weeks, or 12-16 hours per week. If this commitment seems too rigorous for your busy life, consider studying the course at a slower pace.

Pace

BENEFIT was designed for independent study. The online course provides you with a range of course material and experiences to assist you in becoming FIT including lessons, assessment, assignments, lab exercises, project scenarios, videos, and animations. This online course gives you the freedom to start your self-study experience at any time, to work at your own pace, to skip around and learn the things that are most interesting and important to you, and to take as long as you like to finish the course. However, self-study requires self-discipline. If you are to gain the BENEFITs, a plan will help you stay with it.

Plan

Developing a strategy for successfully completing the course should be your first priority. Scheduling the necessary time to complete each lesson will keep you headed down the path to FITness. It may take 12-15 hours to complete each lesson, although some lessons may be easier for you because of your other knowledge and experience, and some may be harder. Consider including time in your study schedule to review previous material in order to absorb the content and give yourself time for reflection..

Even though the course was developed to be completed in eleven weeks, you may decide to complete the course in a semester (four months), six months, nine months, or a year. My Progress Page will help you set a goal, stay on track, and show you how far you've come!

Reach out

Make connections with others who can help you in your studies:

• Identify someone—a friend, family member, or IT professional at your educational institution, organization, or workplace—who is knowledgeable about IT.
• Form a FITness group at your workplace to team up for discussions and help each other through the course.
• Visit the online Discussion Forum for each lesson. Post questions for other students and read previously posted questions and answers. Your fellow students are a valuable resource!

GETTING THE MOST FROM BENEFIT VIDEOs

Watching television, videos, or streamed media at home for entertainment is a different activity than watching video in an educational context. Many people watch television, videotapes, or DVDs while doing something else (for example, eating, sewing, paying bills, brushing the dog), or they go for total relaxation while watching. Does this description sound familiar?

To get the most from educational video, you will need to adjust your viewing habits:

• Stay focused on what is being presented.
• Choose a time that is quiet.
• Minimize distractions:
  • Let the people you live or work with know that you are "in class" and must not be disturbed.
  • Turn off the ringer on the telephone and let the answering machine take your calls.
• Use the same learning skills and techniques you would use if you were in an on-campus classroom. Pay attention, take notes, and formulate any questions you have about material as it is presented.
• Watch in short sections, stopping or pausing the presentation, to write down your questions while they are still fresh in your mind.
• Rewind or start over as many times as necessary to understand important concepts. (Use the slider bar beneath the video window.)
• Review the video material days, hours, or even weeks later to reinforce your learning. Once you sign up for the course, you will have access to the BENEFIT video archive.

Later you can post your questions and comments to the BENEFIT Discussion Forums.

Continue to BENEFIT For Instructors

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BENEFIT was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and developed by University of Washington Educational Outreach.

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