CDFP course hacks with DFI’s Learning Facilitator Andile Bidi
Categories : Blog
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Author: Andile Bidi
“The true beauty of online learning is that it lends itself perfectly to your lifestyle. By its very nature, it can fit around you” Clare Scott.
Online learning can be quite daunting as it requires discipline, commitment and consistency. You enrol to an online course with the intention of successfully completing it within a certain period, but life happens. You get busy with work, encounter family and/or health issues, or sometimes just do not feel up to getting the work done. Well, I am here to help. LET’S MAKE LEARNING YOUR OWN!
Here are a few tips to fit CDFP into your life and make your learning journey easier:
- Plan Your Time
Most of our courses run for a period of four to five weeks, hence it is very important to use your time wisely. Firstly, make sure you log on during orientation week to familiarise yourself with the platform. This is the best time to ask questions, particularly if it is the first time you are studying with us.
Make sure you choose three days each week and set aside 30 minutes to an hour to work on activities. You do not want to leave things for the last minute and end up submitting unsatisfactory work, because the Learning Facilitator will take away points if you do not put any effort into your submissions.
Use quiet moments you get to comment on posts – that time when the kids are busy with homework, or just before bed, get on your phone or laptop and put in some work.
- Your Classmates Are Your Friends
I advise you to read the comments made by your classmates. This way, you can agree and add your thoughts to their discussion, or you could disagree and give your reasons. This is one way of creating conversation, learning from each other, and sharing ideas. This is encouraged, and in some courses, you will get rewarded for engaging with other students.
- Attend Class Calls
Class calls are a great way to engage with your Subject Matter Experts and with other students. These are also an opportunity to get clarity on any concepts you might have had questions about.
Make sure you diarise the dates for the calls. You will usually find these on a post in orientation week. Set a reminder on your computer or watch, if you are like me, on a postage stamp somewhere visible.
Take note of any class call changes which your Learning Facilitators will communicate with you should there be any.
Attending and engaging in class calls is also another great way to earn points on some of our CDFP courses! Those points could be the difference between you passing or failing the course should you fall behind on points.
- Take Notes, Always Take Notes
When watching videos, always listen for key concepts and definitions: pause, repeat, and take notes. This will help you formulate in-depth answers and is a wonderful way to remember these concepts and definitions. Notes are useful to refer to when answering quizzes! Taking written notes on paper works best for me. Old fashioned, I know.
- Ask Questions, I repeat, Ask Questions
Should you not understand a concept, an assignment or simply don’t know where to submit anything, do not hesitate to ask. That is what the Learning Facilitators are here for, to help and make your learning experience easy and pleasant.
I suggest taking time on Sundays or Mondays to look through the work for the week. This will help you identify aspects of that week you might find challenging. Asking questions earlier gives us a chance to help you during the week as we do not work on weekends.
You have taken the first – and probably the most important – step towards getting certified. All there is to it now is to keep yourself motivated for the duration of the courses that you are on. The above tips, should you follow them, will help you get to the finish line.
Communications from your Learning Facilitators are important! Read the emails and messages carefully. They are constant reminders of where you are on the course, what you might need to do, and how you can get the points to pass.
We are pleased that you have chosen to take this journey with us, and hope for the successful completion of the courses you have chosen to take on. We hope the tips help and we are looking forward to seeing you engaged in the courses.
Andile Bidi
DFI Learning Facilitator
Established in 2015, Digital Frontiers Institute is a proud brand of Digital Frontiers. Learn more about the Certified Digital Finance Practitioner (CDFP) programme and find out how to enrol: https://cdfp.digitalfrontiersinstitute.org/