Online Education Popularity: Why The Fuss?
It is clear why employees prefer online training to off-site options. Once you take away the travel and accommodation costs, it’s significantly cheaper. Plus, you only really have to buy the training material once. It doesn’t become a recurring expense like ‘team bonding’ excursions. But it seems adult learners are veering towards online education too, even for their private endeavors. Online training is ‘the new night school’. It’s a doable option for personal improvement and career advancement. Depending on where, what, and how you study, its qualifications are universally recognized. But why do learners like it so much? Here are 6 secrets of online education popularity revealed.
1. Online Learners Are Able To Set Their Own Schedule
The trouble with ‘regular’ training is attendance. You have to be in a specific place at a specific time, and follow a timetable. If you’re lucky, you can find the training course you want at a time slot that’s convenient for you. But even then, you have to go to the right classroom and sit there until the class is done. Plus, you have to factor in the commute to and from class. With online training courses, corporate learners can pick their own program. They can decide to study before work, on a coffee break, or during their free time at home. The morning commute might even become the online classroom. Which is ideal for busy working professionals who need to upskill or broaden their knowledge.
2. They Can Study Anywhere In The World
Along the same lines, corporate learners have no geographical restrictions. As long as they have working internet, they have round-the-clock access to online training resources. All they need is an online training course in a language they’re familiar with, and many online training courses have inbuilt translation options. Remote employees can study without ever leaving their region, let alone their house or office. Many online training courses have offline modules too, so corporate learners can even study in remote third-world locations with spotty internet access.
3. Online Education Accommodates Diverse Learning Preferences
Some of us prefer to learn by reading instruction manuals. Others would rather have an audio-clip talk them through a task. Or they could watch a video tutorial and mimic the steps on the screen. Another portion of people likes to dive in and learn by doing. In physical classrooms, you’re restricted to the teacher’s preferred mode of instruction which is usually ‘lectures and homework’. With online training, there are online videos, audio clips, blocks of text, simulations, quick-fire quizzes, essays, charts, graphs, etc. They’re deliberately designed this way to reach a wider demographic. Corporate learners can toggle between instruction options and find the right fit.
4. Individuals Can Learn While They Earn
If employees had to take a one or two-year degree on campus, they’d probably need a sabbatical from work. When they do return to the workplace, they may have more ‘book learning.’ However, their colleagues will have moved up the corporate ladder organically. The go-getter who pursued their degree would still have to catch up, even though they took the initiative. Plus, they’d have to account for the loss of income while they were away. Online education allows corporate learners to get all the rewards without having to miss out on professional opportunities. They can continue their work and still get their qualifications.
5. Helps Maintain A Professional/Personal Life Balance
Along the same lines, studying and working can take a toll on family life and leisure time. A lot of us have a hard time with just the work-life balance. Adding training complicates matters even further. When corporate learners study online, they have full control of the course load and study schedule. This is an important reason behind online education popularity. They can manage time and online training activities more effectively. For example, pick an online training course with 5-minute modules that they can finish during their lunch break. They don’t have to put their personal obligations on hold to train. Or put even more stress on themselves by attending on-site courses on top of managing their heavy workload. Thereby, improving employee satisfaction and on-the-job productivity.
6. Online Education Is More Cost-Effective
Online education popularity lies also in its cost-effectiveness. Online training is more cost-effective for both organizations and individuals. Companies have the power to train their remote workforce without breaking the bank due to the fact that they can cut costs in regard to on-site instructors, travel fees, and printed materials. Not to mention, minimize online training seat time so that employees spend more time in the workplace and less time training. In the case of individuals, online training offers them the opportunity to enroll in online training courses that accommodate their budget. Many online training courses are offered a la carte, which means they can sign up for individual units or lessons one at a time. Instead of having to pay for a comprehensive degree program all at once. Some institutions even offer payment plans and financial assistance.
So, why is online education popularity this high, and why is it the right choice for your organization? Well, it’s flexible, so corporate learners can set their own study schedules. They can access online training resources from anywhere in the globe. No plane tickets or visas needed. They can learn via video, audio, text, still images, infographics, or any combination they prefer. From an economic standpoint, corporate learners don’t have to take time off work. So they can continue to earn income as they advance their corporate/academic credentials. And online training courses make it easier to achieve work-play-family-leisure balance. As long there is motivation and willingness to learn, they have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. At the same time, your organization can continually cultivate in-house talents and improve employee satisfaction.
Do your remote corporate learners seem unmotivated about their new online training course? Read the article 7 Tips To Motivate Remote Corporate Learners to discover the best tips to motivate remote corporate learners and make them see their online training course from a whole different perspective.
