Online skill development platforms allow a person to learn a new set of skills or hone their existing ones, sitting anywhere and at any time. Through the years technology has been developing rapidly, and the internet is one of it’s groundbreaking contributions to humankind which makes our lives much simpler and easier. Online courses are drawing in thousands of virtual students and becoming much more popular day by day. There are numerous advantages of these courses; let us explore some in detail here:
Financial Savings: Students can save money as online courses are usually much cheaper than their conventional counterparts. The average cost for online courses can vary depending on the institute that offers it and the field within which it is being taught, but the knowledge they impart is certainly worth the (minimal) fee. Moreover, it helps in cutting out the cost of books, as the material is provided online, and the daily commute most of us are forced to undertake.
Wide Reach: Online programs are accessible to all enthusiastic learners. They reach out to far more students than a physical classroom can, and also welcome students from a variety of backgrounds regardless of previous qualifications and age group.
Convenient: Since it can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, learners don’t have to stick to a particular schedule. Both full-time and part-time employees and homemakers can easily manage it alongside their office hours and household chores respectively. Additionally college and school students can take up additional courses and pair it up with their institutional studies to gain a greater understanding in their area of interest.
Extended Options: Learners get a plethora of options to choose from as there are numerous courses which may not be available or affordable offline for users, but can easily be accessed on these platforms. This also lets them explore their hobbies and interests with ease.
Self-paced Learning: Learners can learn according to their own pace and according to their needs. In a class not everyone is able to cope up with the lectures, e-learning, on the other hand, does not set boundaries or pressurize the learners.
Skill Enhancement: Learning new skills can add to your repertoire and boost your abilities to do a task efficiently.
It is said with every advantage comes a disadvantage, online courses also possess certain disadvantages, a few of which are listed below:
Impersonal: Not everyone is comfortable with online studies. Some people require an instructor to teach them and solve their queries in-person. Such interaction is certainly not offered by online courses.
Requires Self-discipline: Learners need to have self-motivation and determination to be able to successfully complete the course.. Unlike traditional classrooms, there is no one to constantly guide, correct (or scold :p) them throughout the period of their study.
Certificates: Although free courses abound, most of them don’t offer certificates free of cost. While this may work for those doing these courses for the sake of skills, for those looking to gain certifications and licenses to show to future employers will have to shell out extra bucks.
Potentially Harmful: There is some basis after all behind our parents’ perpetual scoldings for spending too much time in front of the screen. Learning from a computer for hours without any breaks can cause poor vision, back problems and injury to your wrist. Make sure you take regular breaks and spread out your lessons evenly. Follow the 20-20-20 rule as a general guideline- look 20 feet away every 20 minutes away for 20 seconds straight.
The pros and cons vary from course to course and website to website. For a better understanding one should be well informed with the details of the course they intend to take Following is a list of some popular websites to get you started on your e-Learning journey:
- https://www.udemy.com
- https://www.coursera.com
- https://www.edx.org
- https://www.skillshare.com
- https://www.alison.com
- https://www.chalkstreet.com
-Aarushi Jodhawat, PR Team
The Placement Cell, Miranda House 