One major disadvantage of studying online is the difficulty of finding answers when you don’t understand something. If you are enrolled in a formal course, chances are that you have support from course staff at your fingertips. On the other hand, if you are working through a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), there may be no way to contact instructors directly. How, then, can you find out answers if you have hit a brick wall and simply can’t understand something in your course?

Go Over the Course Material Again

The first step is to watch the video or read the article again. Take a break and watch or read it yet again. Try going back a few steps in the course and revising. You may have missed something crucial without realizing. Can you slow the video speed down or pause it completely while you think? Grab a piece of paper and take notes on what you’re learning. If you have already taken notes, read through them several times. Sometimes just pinpointing the exact spot where you lost the meaning can help you start to work towards finding the solution.

Ask in Your Course Discussion Forum

If your course has a discussion board or forum, check it out in case someone else has the same problem. Post your question as clearly as possible and perhaps a classmate will answer it. Sadly, though, in some MOOCs, questions can possibly go for weeks or even indefinitely without any response. Often, in free online courses, you need to find your own answers.

Take a Break Before Trying Again

By this time, chances are that you’re feeling fed up and ready to give up the whole thing. But wait! Work your frustrations away with some good solid exercise. Go for a brisk walk. Play some handball or football either with some friends or on your own. Dance to some music. Even a five- or ten-minute break can make a big difference.

When you come back to the computer, you may find that even if you still can’t understand the problem, at least your brain is ready to try a few other options.

Khan Academy

Having trouble with a mathematics concept? Can’t understand a physics or chemistry problem? Not sure of the usage of some tricky English words? Take a look at the hundreds of videos on Khan Academy. Topics are covered from basic grammar to computer programming and college test preparation. You can read the review of Khan Academy that I wrote a few months ago.

StackExchange

StackExchange is a question-and-answer site where people can ask questions about more than 100 subjects. You can ask your own questions, browse hot questions or choose a subject area about a large range of academic and other topics. Helpful answers automatically rise to the top when readers vote for them.

Library

Before the internet, the library was the go-to place for tricky questions or further research. If you are stuck trying to find answers on your own, don’t be afraid to try it. Your local library will have staff available to help you find resources, both hard copies and online.

Encyclopedia

How often were you told as a child, “Look it up in the encyclopedia”?

Two popular encyclopedias are Wikipedia and Britannica. They can help you understand some problems and can also be useful for starting to research written assignments.

If you are writing a scholarly essay for your course, Wikipedia references are likely to be discouraged. Because anyone can add to Wikipedia, you need to confirm all references from primary sources. Wikipedia claims that although some incorrect material appears on the site from time to time, it is a valuable starting point for research.

Is Britannica better than Wikipedia? Britannica is written by specialists in many fields. My library membership includes free access to Encyclopedia Britannica online from my own device. I can go to the library site and type in my library card number to look up anything in Britannica. Again, if you want in-depth information, Britannica may be just the starting point for research.

Google Scholar

For journal papers and resources, try Google Scholar. While a standard Google search will throw up results from all and sundry web content, Google Scholar focuses on articles in peer-reviewed journals. If you need reliable research to write an assignment, Google Scholar can be invaluable. This source is less likely to be useful to actually understand a problem.

Others

This is not a comprehensive list, there are other helpful resources. Please let me know if you have encountered any particularly useful ones, especially if they are free.

A Final Thought

If you are stuck during a course, don’t give up! There are plenty of resources available.

By Pat Bowden, published July 31, 2018.