I had the pleasure of being blessed with an online course in 2019 and I must say, I surprisingly enjoyed the experience. It was comfortable, convenient and best of all without distractions.
A few pointers to contribute regarding online learning. Well, for those who are considering it and are perhaps hesitant or uneasy in any way.
1: Flexibility - You can literally study anywhere and anytime. Pace yourself as you wish throughout the day or course duration. This is self management at best.
2: Privacy - You are in the comfort of your own home or preferred space. In pyjamas if you like.... 😋. At a coffee shop or favourite park. There is no need for a morning rush to get to class and worrying about what to wear. Eliminates all sorts of ugly challenges that come with physical classroom attendance. Because the challenges do exist....
3: Independence - You study at your own pace and learning capability. Eliminating all forms of unnecessary comparison or competition among class mates. Because some people don't understand being content in their own abilities and strengths; if not in competition with others. You are studying to become knowledgeable in your chosen field 👩🎓; qualifying you to offer that skill in service to the public 👨🔧. That remains the objective of adult education. So you best get used to some independence in mastering the skill as best you can. This will add so much to your service delivery confidence.
4: Affordability - Online courses are and should be significantly cheaper than the campus based counterpart. No boarding fees, no rental contributions for the department building. Only valid contributions are to be for the course material, teaching, the marker and certificate postage.
5: Material Availability - You can download the material and go through it repeatedly until the concepts have sunk in. Not cool trying to recall what the lecturer said back in class when you are studying your notes and textbook much later. 🙆♀️. Online enables for reconciliation between - what the lecturer says, what the textbook says, how you have received the lesson and finally competency testing. A very important process this. 👨🏫vs👩⚖️vs 👩💻vs 🏋️♂️➡️👩🎓
6: Course Intake Capacity - This can allow for a larger intake of students by institutions of higher learning. Creating job opportunities for online tutors and markers. Creativity is needed to best manage batch classes. The bonus... No More Registration Queues! 🚫 to 🚶♀️🚶♂️🚶♀️🚶♂️🚶♀️🚶♂️🚶♀️🚶♂️!
7: Data Charges- There are a few options to choose from in the market. Various deals and service providers. However the poorer end of our society might struggle to afford this. Perhaps Government's intervention can assist. Is free wifi available all over the country or certain zones qualify; using some criteria? 🤷♂️
8: Hardware - Laptops are quite pricey. 🤦♀️The cheaper ones can do the job but come with the frustration of slow processing power 🙆♂️. I doubt that anyone wants a second hand PC/Laptop; especially if we really are at the dawn of a long standing technology era. So brand new is deserved please. Also, if one is buying a laptop (non 🍎), why is the Microsoft not pre installed? That wait to have a new machine being poked at by the guy at the back is unnecessary. Its not like there are 20 other options out there. 😕
9: Power - A variety of smart and affordable charging solutions are needed. Pronto ⚡⚡
10: Market Talent Intake - With self paced learning, the talent output will be in batches or bite size chunks throughout the year. How is the work environment adjusting to accommodate this staggered talent intake? Perhaps reliable and effective resource pools can be developed. Pools that are monitored and transparently reported on. A system similar to financial reporting but for talent pools, recruitment agencies and perhaps proffessional networking sites. It can help the opportunity seeker to cast their net where fish are known for being usually found. 😁. Caring for the well being of our people. Keep them hopeful and motivated with this transparency.
11a: Cheaters - Some people will always try to find a way to short cut the process. Just like the art of mastering past exam papers in the current education system. A culture that defeats the value of mastering concepts or first principles. But then again... this system caters to the unavoidable diversity of people. Developers must beef up on the security levels of these portals though. Else one person ends up qualifying for many... Imagine 😲
11b: Consulting Culture - This is an added benefit from talent pools. The fostering of a culture of diverse or even multiple career paths for the individual. A plus for the diversification of networking and industry exposure. 💃🕺This keeps career fatigue or plain boredom at bay.
12: How is Intellectual Property going to be factored into this online learning platform? A topic that does need to be considered and monitored closely. Alternatively; its definitions reviewed. This could be tricky managing on an international scale; but needs to be done nonetheless.
13: Human Capital or Relations Policies - Work places must already be making some adaptations to policies to accommodate this era. Bursaries, study leave, pay back or funding obligation terms etc.
14: One can stay with family while studying. The family and community unit is thus preserved 👨👩👧👦👨👩👧👧👩👦👦👭. The post high school hastiness towards independence... Tamed. With this online option available, one can manage to have a side job or hustle pretty easily. Parents can also be at home while studying. This beats the frustration of finding a babysitter or someone to cook supper while at night classes. Time management learning has finally entered the home.
There are other advantages and disadvantages to online learning I'm sure. The above are the ones I've noted from my perspective and experience.
Overall, I support online. Alumnus Clubs and reunions are not for everyone. 🤷♂️ .
Cum Laude is a personal prerogative 🏆.
An acknowledgement of academic excellence. It is theoretically expected to translate to righteous and excellent work ethic. Not always the case.
Inner drive should not feed only on the presence of competition. That is hardly sustainable and cannot be a standard.
Thoughts...
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