With Covid being a prominent part of the World’s life for the last year and a half, it’s not surprising that many services are now available online. Online learning has become an absolute staple for many people during lockdowns to learn new skills to enrich their lives or learning new skills for a forced or desired job change.
So, this begs the question, is online learning effective? We aren’t trying to work out if it’s MORE effective than classroom learning because invariably, sitting in a classroom with a teacher offers many additional cerebral benefits. However, as the ‘new normal’ pushes forward, online learning may become a much more significant part of people’s lives.
So let’s look at the benefits!
- You can do the course anywhere and at any time! Sounds like a very obvious statement but this work so well for so many people because in a World where everyone eats, sleeps and works at different times, flexible online learning can offer a platform to suit everyone.
- You can go at your own pace. Some courses have a time limit but generally this is more than enough time to complete the course. Some people get flustered and anxious in a classroom environment which can of course be unhelpful to a healthy learning environment.
- It can be super cost effective! Online training can often provide a much more cost effective alternative to in-classroom training due to lack of overheads.
- It can be favourable because it is less of a time constraint. If you take a classroom course, there are set times to consider and also travel considerations to take into account, with an online course, you can slot it in whenever you have the time.
- Online courses can reduce distractions and increase commitment due to ongoing assessments. Many online courses offer ongoing assessments and mini tests at the end of modules to keep interested and information retention at a high.
It’s essential to highlight here that online learning isn’t limited to just reading text on a screen these days, it’s a veritable feast of multimedia! You can often simply opt for a simple text content course which works well for many people but now, many suppliers are offering video content and also live webinars with Q&A.
Keep your eyes peeled on the Tartan Otter website for a series of helpful online courses for anyone looking for help with social media, marketing, sales, customer service and mental health. If you have any questions, please pop them over to us at kate@tartanotter.com .