E-learning, online education, distance education, learning through the web, are the names used to define non-face-to-face training using a computer with an Internet connection.
Both the demand for and the supply of these courses have increased dramatically in recent years.
And it is not surprising! Besides being a less expensive learning option, they are also preferred for their flexible hours and the absence of commuting, which allows students to combine them with their personal lives.
E-learning also offers indisputable advantages in the training of managers, technicians and workers in different subjects, for public and private entities and organizations in different sectors.
However, not everything is rosy when choosing a distance learning course. There are several important factors to consider before enrolling in an e-learning course:
1. Be aware of the power of independent study.
Due to its non-classroom methodology, e-learning requires that the person have sufficient self-discipline to complete the course successfully.
The good news is that a disciplined person can achieve much more by studying independently than in a face-to-face setting. The student who knows how to study independently manages to focus with passion on a subject and can reach extraordinary levels of performance both in the amount of knowledge assimilated and in its quality.
2. Accessibility to the course tutor or mentor:
An e-learning course must offer some form of contact with a tutor. It is important that this support is not cold and distant, since many people abandon e-learning due to lack of motivation and support.
The work of supervision, encouragement and guidance carried out by the tutor is essential and has to go beyond an occasional e-mail. Before enrolling in an e-learning course, verify that your contact with the tutor is expeditious and open, either in the form of an interactive forum or personal emails.
3. Teaching methodology
Unfortunately, many online training courses use methodologies that are almost exclusively based on passive reading of documents followed by a self-assessment test to check the retention of what has been read.
This modality is very low performance. It is known that the mere reading of a document does not produce deep learning or high retention. Furthermore, a long text, no matter how good its content, is unable to hold the student's interest on its own and is unattractive.
Before enrolling in an e-learning course, verify that the information delivery methodology is state of the art. With the technology that is available today, excellent quality webinars or video conferences can be held, in which a Power Point or direct demonstrations can be used from the exhibitor's screen. This methodology is very attractive, since, in addition to containing visual and audio components, it allows immediate interaction with the tutor.
In this way, distance training programs increasingly resemble a classroom course, maintaining the advantages of flexibility and low cost that are characteristic of e-learning.
