Learning Online – A brief guide Learning online is different to learning in a classroom and this article discusses the relative benefits of learning online versus group discussion and more traditional methods of learning and training. So what is learning online? Anytime a person sits in front of a computer, it can be argued that they are learning something. It might only be a trivial item like what their friends are doing on face book or the time of the next train to London, but they are learning. Taking that to the next level, ask yourself, as a manager, what do you want them to learn or how will the learning benefit your business or service. Clearly finding out that Clare is friends with Charlotte on Face book is not very useful. (Incidentally, how do you currently select people for classroom training, do you send everyone on the same course?... thought so) Online learning allows learners to move at their own pace. So no stopping to wait for slower learners to catch up or waiting while more able ones try to catch the trainer out... Learning modules can be released daily, weekly or at any interval to suit you or your learners. You can specify that a learner must study and complete Module X before moving onto Module Y for example. You really can get that level of control.. Everything on a computer is logged - that can help you.. Every time you (or any body) visits any website, they leave an electronic footprint. (When you shop online, have you ever wondered how stores can "remember" you?) Taking that a stage further, if we can chose what websites(courses) our staff look at and what pages they look at (the answers they give to tests etc) this can give us very powerful information. But won't this take away from my existing training? No, it will give it another dimension. Imagine, if you could say to staff, "Please read this text and answer these short questions before the training session on the 21st of next month"
Learning online
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