Pablo Luna
Most of the learning has always taken place in a classroom with other students and the teacher across the room talking to us, teaching, and asking questions. The fact that there are so many different courses online now makes some people skeptical of the benefits it has and whether people are actually able to learn, considering they are basically in charge of their own learning.
Online learning may not work for everyone, just as much as physically sitting in a classroom listening to the teacher talking is not effective for everybody. In this article, we will discuss some of the amazing benefits of online learning.
Added Flexibility and Self-Paced Learning
Learning a new course or skill always requires time and effort from people, particularly in classroom-based settings. This can be easily done when you have no other responsibilities and your only focus is to learn and attend classes. However, some people want to develop their education but are restricted by having a full-time job and/or a family to take care of. Online learning is a great idea in such cases, as it provides learners with the flexibility that they need in order to manage different aspects of their life as well as their learning. Although classroom-based learning often demands you to strictly follow a schedule, this is not the case with online platforms, as you can be in charge of your own learning and the pace at which you learn.
You Can Go Through Material As Often As You Want
When you are in a classroom, the teacher is talking and teaching and expecting your brain to grasp all of the information straight away. If you get distracted for one second, it is enough for you to lose track of what is going on and in these cases, you may not want to ask the teacher to repeat what they said more than once. When you learn online, you are given all the materials and resources needed to learn at your own pace. You can go back to the notes as often as you need until you learn them properly so that you can then move on to the next section of learning.
Better Time Management
As we discussed above, when you have to juggle different responsibilities, it can be difficult to add learning to the list of priorities. It is important to have impeccable time management skills. As suggested by an EcoSecretariat article, online learning enables you to manage your own learning, so that you can put your own schedule together. Since you will not have a strict classroom schedule to follow with online programs, this means that you can have the freedom to manage your own time, significantly improving this skill.
Demonstrated Self-Motivation
Independent learning means that you will have to rely on yourself and your own motivation to succeed. Motivation can come easily when you know you have a teacher to report to and potential negative consequences and embarrassment for not completing the work or getting a bad grade. Online learning is different since you are completely in charge of your learning and the most that could happen is you not finishing the course. If you actually finish this, this will only show self-motivation and the ability to encourage yourself without relying on a third party. Along with time management, these are amazing skills that any employer looks for when hiring individuals.
New Technical Skills
Online courses require the use of technological devices so that you can communicate with others as well as access materials and complete your projects. And let’s be honest, some knowledge of technology is required as part of the majority of jobs nowadays, as most things are done online. Although classroom learning may promote and help you develop some of these skills, they will not be as good as when using online platforms to learn constantly and it will force you to become better at resolving issues.
For example, if you are faced with IT issues that are getting in the way of you completing a project, you will definitely need to find a way to sort these out if you want to pass. These skills are something that is crucial to have and desirable in most jobs.
Improved Virtual Communication and Collaboration
Communicating with others face to face is much easier in order to build a relationship. As part of your online learning, you will still have some access to communication platforms that allow you to stay in touch with colleagues. Developing the skill of maintaining virtual communication for your future, as shows that you can convey your opinion and build relationships when not in the same room with the other person.
You may think that online learning is not as good as classroom-based learning, or that it is not for you. However, the benefits discussed above show that online courses can be a great way for individuals to learn as well as develop certain skills that face to face learning methods simply do not provide.
