E-Learning Tips in the Age of COVID-19

December 2, 2020

E-Learning Tips in the Age of COVID-19

Let’s be honest – COVID-19 has made a lot of changes to people’s social and professional lives. One aspect especially which seems to be weighing people down is being stuck at home. However, you can convert this into an opportunity to add to your skills, learn something new, and expand your knowledge. What you need is e-learning.

e-Learning has been providing people with a great way to stay engaged and sharp despite global lockdowns. It has been helping job seekers improve their job prospects while fueling business owners to grow their enterprises. From simple language courses to accredited certification training, the options available for today’s learners are endless.

However, there’s one important thing you should keep in mind before enrolling: Online learning requires discipline.

You need to really put your heart into the courses you enroll in to truly get value for money. And this is what the tips you’re about to discover will help you achieve.

Establish Your e-Learning Objectives Early On

Before actually enrolling in a course, make sure that its objectives and goals match yours. For instance, if you wish to become a project manager, you have a choice between PRINCE2 and PMP. You should compare which of these adds more value to your career and profile before signing up for it.

So, read as much as you can about the course. And you can always email through any queries you have to a training advisor to ensure you’re making an informed decision.

To stay motivated throughout the course, write down your goals on a Post-It or a surface you can always see while learning. Also set a personal deadline if you want to challenge yourself further. Just make sure YOU design your milestones, not someone else.

Participate Actively

Online learning requires a different kind of energy from participants in order to stay active during sessions. This is especially true during virtual-led training courses. If you usually passively listen to sessions, you may lose interest in between. In fact, research shows that 37% of people are more likely to complete their online courses when they participate in the discussion.

Even if you opt for self-paced training, make sure to take part in the quizzes offered and any fun activities added to the course. The best part is that these also assess your knowledge, so it’s a win-win situation for you.

Specify an Area for e-Learning

Your surrounding environment and the lack of a physical instructor may prevent you from focusing on your course material. And there’s always the chance of kids barging in your space after they’re done with their own online learning sessions.

So, if you’re attending a virtual session or watching a self-paced course at home, here are some tips to create the best learning ambiance.

Ensure your learning space has ample lighting as dark rooms tend to be claustrophobic and depressing.
Create an ergonomic workspace or else you may end up with a stiff neck and aching shoulders and lose focus of the materials.
Experiment with the right environment for you. You may learn better in a noisy spot than a quiet one.

Time Your Sessions Properly

Spending time efficiently during quarantine is challenging. The lack of activity may interestingly make you feel more exhausted and tired than usual. Besides, increased screen time can be stressful, especially if you’re working from home and no longer have a proper start or end time.

The best way to avoid fatigue (and eventually dropping your course midway) is to plan your own schedule for a whole week and follow it with consistency. Take into consideration your interests and pace of learning while planning. This will help you to be more realistic while developing your schedule.

Also, don’t forget to plan breaks in between long sessions. In addition to giving your mind a breather, breaks can help you find a new place at home where you can be more productive. Who knows? Maybe the kitchen counter will be the best spot for you to study for an upcoming ITSM certification exam.

Getting along with an innovative approach may get challenging for the majority but it results in the long-run benefits for the learners if adopted efficiently.

Leave Room for Error while Planning

These are uncertain times, so something may come up in the middle of your eLearning journey. For instance, a colleague may fall sick and their work may be added to your pile. With this in mind, always keep some wiggle room in your schedule to accommodate any setbacks.

Make sure to reward yourself for sticking to your e-Learning plan, and never drag yourself down if you don’t. Doing the latter will demotivate you and prevent you from completing your training.

Learn with Colleagues and Friends

Just because you aren’t sharing a physical space doesn’t mean you can’t share your eLearning experience with friends and colleagues. Many eLearning course providers offer corporate training which you can pitch to your employer. Not only will you get others to participate in your learning journey, you’ll actually learn for less.

Even if your company shoots down your suggestion, you can recommend your course to a friend for a discount if the course provider has an affiliate program. This will definitely get you a discount from the provider, and the everlasting thanks of your friend.

And Now, You’re Ready to Enroll in a New Course!

LearningCert is proud to provide numerous accredited certification courses to help grow your career and skillset. In addition to engaging content, we provide the expertise of industry experts and the best trainers from all over the globe. Check out our growing list of courses to make the most of the current quarantine.