Build your network

People often worry that they will feel lonely when they study online – and sure there is a risk of that. Social learning is a powerful tool to help you succeed and engagement in conversations about content correlates to your grade - that is, the more you talk about your content, the higher the grade you get. You will find that there are opportunities to get to know other students, helping you not just in your learning, but to really make online learning fun.

You will also find this helps you build your professional network.

Course discussions

Courses at Griffith use different discussion tools based on the needs of the course and students. Throughout your studies you might use:

• Welcome to Teams at Griffith
• Discussion boards in Learning@Griffith

Each course site will guide you on the tool being used in that course.

Discussion can be a powerful tool for learning. Follow these guidelines to make the most of your discussions.

• Be ethical - Reference the source of thoughts or ideas that are not your own, and don't share information you know to be false.
• Be respectful - Always treat your classmates and teaching staff with courtesy and respect.
• Be mindful - Take care with the personal information you post about yourself or others.
• Avoid offence - Consider what you are posting and avoid any language, images or video that may be considered offensive.

This Quick guide to good netiquette [PDF 188KB] presents some basic ground rules for communicating online.

Online classrooms

Your course will offer online classrooms. These classrooms work a little bit like Skype - but with more features. You will see PowerPoint slides, and be able to ask questions and contribute to the discussion.

Don't worry - you don't have to be on camera!

All online classes are delivered through Microsoft Teams through Canvas. You can find support on how to access your classes, and view recordings in the Learning@Griffith Help accessed through the Help button in Canvas

Generally all sessions are recorded - so if you can't be online in person you can always watch the recording!

Group work

Working in a group online can bring challenges - but also opportunities to work with people from very different locations, backgrounds and experiences. Some online courses even include group assignments, and you will be guided in how to work together to complete these projects.

Check out some invaluable tips on group projects including guidance on agreeing on expectations early to avoid problems down the track.

Meet up

Some students have organised gatherings with other students who live nearby, whether that be in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth or London! This network building can help you during your studies and in your professional career.