Over the past five years or so, online learning has been growing in popularity. However, in the comfort of one’s own home, it is easy to become complacent after you have signed up for a course. To increase your online learning success, here are some tips.

 

Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we all allocate time for continued professional development. Gone are the days when, when having completed college or university, we could just rely on gaining experience to drive your professional advancement. In addition to experience, we need to be seen to be qualified. Further, and with the workplace becoming even more dynamic and competitive – thanks largely to technology – we need to make a concerted effort to keep abreast and to stay relevant.

Having said this, these days, online courses abound! Not only is a convenient option for many, with the material available for study when convenient, it can also be quite cost effective. Further, there are numerous platforms from which to choose, including LinkedIn, Coursera, Udemy, Khan Academy, to name a few, with different learning methodologies and price points.

Paying for the course is the easy part. Typically, the challenge is completing the programme, and more specifically, doing so in a timely manner. In order to get the most value out of your investment, here are four tips.

 

1. Take the course seriously

Having carefully reviewed the courses available in your area of interest, and finally pulled the trigger to purchase the course, take it seriously. Sometimes, we get persuaded to buy courses when there is a sale, and although we might have the best of intentions, we cannot bring ourselves to start the programme, much less complete it. However, if that is the case, essentially, we have wasted money!

So even before you have purchased the course, think about how much time – realistically – you can allocate to it. If the course is supposed to run to a particular schedule, over a fixed period of time, seriously ask yourself whether you will be able to dedicate the recommended amount of time to the reading, completing the assignments, etc. Although it can be wonderful to sign up for a new course, it can demoralising if you cannot finish, and were not in a position to do so from the start.

 

2.  Create a schedule and manage your time

In order to keep yourself on track to complete a course either within the prescribed time, or a pace that will not make the whole exercise tedious, consider making a schedule. Many of us live and die by our calendar, and if activities or appointments have not been included in our calendar, we are unlikely to remember and to prepare for them. Further, and for those of us who are juggling children and family responsibilities, in addition to whatever might be our work commitments, scheduling might be even more important.

In having a schedule, we can try to establish regular study time, which will allow us to go through the programme at a (relatively) consistent pace, and hopefully maintain a certain momentum over the course of study. Although unforeseen hiccups do occur, it is better to be consistent than to study an hour a day for one week, and then completely neglect the course for next six. Virtually all of what you have learnt would have been forgotten, and you are likely to have to restart from scratch.

 

3.  Hold yourself accountable

Although you might be the only one that knows – or cares – whether or not you successfully complete a course, still try to hold yourself accountable for the goals you have set. For example, you had planned to complete a course in six weeks, or had set some goals/milestones that you wanted to achieve during the course, and you have set a realistic time table in which to achieve them, to the extent possible, try to work to get them down.

However, if you find it difficult to hold yourself accountable, consider getting an accountability partner. That colleague, friend or classmate will not only check in with you as to whether you have achieved your stated targets, but also you will also need to advise them on your progress through the programme, and whether or not you will achieve your targets.

 

4.  Stay motivated

Finally, in the absence of the camaraderie that tends to develop in a in-person learning environment, studying online can be a lonely endeavour. To that end, it is crucial to stay motivated. However, staying motivated is easier said than done. Below are a few tips:

  • keep in mind the reasons why you are taking the online course
  • participate in online discussions
  • participate in study groups or get a study partner (depending on the nature and structure of the course)
  • reward yourself whenever you complete a challenging task, and
  • ensure that you still take care of yourself, get enough rest, and make time to still relax.

 

 

 

Image credit:  Tumisu (Pixabay) 

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