What are the pros of studying online? Below are some commonly asked questions to help you understand a bit further:
Does online learning take more time than in-college?
It is believed that studying online takes more time than studying at a college campus. Considering the time it takes to travel there and back, the time in the seminar or classroom, the exams and then the course work done at home does in fact take more time than studying online. Online education is depicted as lessons delivered by PowerPoints, zoom lessons with 50+ screens looking in to your home at a set time of the week. It shouldn’t be this if it done properly. Online education is a tailored, one to one experience for the learner. The learning is done in your own time, which could mean that you may study faster than the teacher delivering the lesson. Or the opposite and you take the study at your own pace so that you don’t have to sit in a classroom and go over the work later again and again to understand it. The point is that you will likely learn more in an online environment.
Will I get side-tracked if I study online?
It is down to the learner being engaged and the provider you study with to make sure that you don’t fall behind on your work. There is no class register and the learner has to be self-motivated. But let’s be honest, if a learner at college isn’t motivated, what are they going to achieve by sitting in a classroom or studying online? If you have chosen to study an Access course, A-Levels or a Diploma, you have chosen to achieve something that is going to get you further in your career. With online learning there will be interactive activities, reading and other learning materials that are up-to-date with the online world in which the work force is moving towards.
Online courses develop good-time management skills...
As an adult learner, juggling work, family and an online course will enable you to prioritise your time, as will work once you’ve completed your studies. Studying online should not take up most of your time and some of the best providers will even offer time management planning templates that support you to complete the work to the time frame that you are given. As mentioned above, the time it takes to travel to college is time during the day in which you could be studying, working or taking time to relax. Colleges do have set times which many people will appreciate when organising times in the learners day, weeks or months of study and this is similar to going to university and attending seminars or lectures. After studying at uni, you could be expected to work from home, which means time management skills are essential.
Will I be isolated as an online student?
The online learning environment doesn’t have to or should not feel isolated. Unlike being sat in a classroom with constant chatter in the back, a dominant figure at the front pleading that everyone listen, you have the chance to make the perfect surroundings that suit you to be able to work at your best. Some online providers will offer telephone conversations with a tutor, one to one face time over a shared computer screen to demonstrate the answer to a difficult question, emails or messaging services. Most organisations have reps that organise student forums that can help support any issues, or shared experiences about the course or future careers that like-minded students share.
Do I need to be an active learner to study a course online?
It is all about time management and self-motivation to study in any capacity and do the best you can. By becoming self-sufficient with your learning you are achieving much more than just learning a new subject. By studying you are giving yourself the deserved experience of achieving something new, for your own personal development as well as gaining new life-skills and knowledge. A phrase that has encouraged many people in the past: Knowledge is power. So by gaining the skills, experience and education, you will have the key to unlock many doors for your own future. It depends how much you want it.
Online courses don’t push you to stay on task...
This can be said for some providers but the good ones will make sure that you are ‘on-task’ and encourage the students to complete the work to the best of their ability. The good providers will also email or message with subtle reminders that a deadline is approaching or reach out if the student needs support. A good provider will not let you pay for a course and forget about you.
Do online courses provide much flexibility?
If you choose to take an online course it enables you to work, care your family, find time to enjoy life and study at the same time. Professional roles in the work place are becoming more flexible to give workers the opportunity to spend more time at home or travel. Studying online is a great starting point to experience that way of life. You will be responsible for your own learning and taking the initiative to get the work finished in time and to the best of your abilities. The more you put in, the more you will get out of it.
Will I get less support from my online tutor than in a college?
The best providers will team you up with a personal tutor who will be specialised in their subject. Adult learners have to take their own initiative to get the best out of their education which, in the long run, will be better for the student. However, you will not be alone when it comes to tackling a question and receiving feedback from an assignment. Again, you need to choose the online provider that offers this and the reviews from past students confirm this.
Read examples of Reviews for studying online diplomas in Access to HE.