How to get the most out of online learning

Online learning is here to stay. 

And if you ever doubted its effectiveness, the closure of schools(as a result of covid-19) and migration to virtual classrooms by schools all over the world should have cleared it.

Now if you were observant, you may have noticed two kinds of people this period:

1. People  who complained about online learning: For this ones, they probably thrive in the classroom or enjoy face to face learning. So adapting to virtual classrooms isn't the easiest for them.
2. People who were sharing multiple certificates- sometimes up to 3, 4, 5 e-learning certificates.

On LinkedIn, I saw someone upload 12 certificates and I was wondering how he did it.

Not because I think it's such a rare feat.

No.

I was wondering, did he actually learn?

This, in fact is the crux of the matter and exactly why I'm writing this blog post.

How can you get the most out of online learning?

There are steps you must take for this to happen. Each of those steps will be in phases:

1. Before you start learning
2. When you're learning
3. After learning

Let's get into it:

Before you start learning

Have a plan

Ask yourself the following questions:

What's your goal?

What skill do you want to learn?

What do you want to achieve with the course?

How does the course help you achieve your goal?

Is the course actionable, i.e. is it a vague concept or is it something that you can put into practice in your life and career?

Write the answers to all these questions down. It's important to be completely honest with your answers and for best results, ensure that whatever course you decide to go for is related to your end goal.

Choose the best platform

When it comes to online learning, the resources are almost endless. There are free and paid courses, courses hosted by institutions and courses from individuals. You need to find out which platform is best for you.

Also, is the course self paced or timed? This is important if you have to think about work, familial and other personal obligations. You want to be sure that you can meet up with quizzes and assignments.

Do they have projects that can help you sharpen your acquired knowledge?

Are the videos bite-sized or very lengthy? In my experience, bite-sized videos are the best. I tried YouTube crash courses and realized that anything beyond 30minutes bores and puts me to sleep. So this is important to keep in mind for successful online learning.

Look for reviews:

What are people saying about the course and the platform?

Is the teacher understanding? Too fast? Too slow? 

Any problem with the accent? Does it require prior knowledge of anything or can absolute beginners take it? 

Is the platform easy to navigate?

You can take it a step further by looking for testimonials and case studies. Find out how others have used that course to create something or moved ahead with their careers. You just may find new inspiration.

Get your materials ready

Can the course be taken with your smartphone or only via a laptop?

Can the projects be executed on your phone or do you have to get a laptop?

You would also need a separate book devoted to taking online courses and if possible a place mapped out for learning.

When you're learning

Environment matters

Get a quiet place for your learning. For live sessions, dress properly and have a neutral background. It is important to stay away from your bed when learning. Sit up at a table and chair. Trust me, it's easy to fall asleep when learning. 

If you can, inform your housemates that you're taking a course so that no one distracts you during your e-learning sessions. 

Play videos slowly

I've taken several courses where the teacher was speaking way too fast. Initially, I was perplexed and struggled to catch up but I soon discovered a way around it. For each video you play, there should be speed button to help you slow down or increase the speed(mostly seen as 1x, 1.5x, etc.) 

Use it to your advantage. Slow down the videos so you can truly enjoy your virtual learning sessions.

Make notes

Yes, this might slow you down, but it works wonders for retaining knowledge. 

What's more? Even when you finish that course and delete the videos, you have your notes to refresh your knowledge and take you back to the learning zone whenever you want. Pen and paper works best.

Combine learning resources

There's no hard rule to learning. Stellar reviews aside, there are topics that you simply won't grab the first time it's taught and that's okay. This simply means you need more resources. 

So you must learn to google, read articles and books, and even try another video from another course to aid your learning. This is important if you don't want a frustrating learning experience. There's nothing wrong with combining resources.

Have short sessions 

I know you're eager about the new knowledge you're acquiring but, you must take it easy. When it comes to learning consistency trumps intensity. You can allocate just one hour a day to learning.

Believe me, it adds up. Daily one hour sessions is 7hours a week. This is better than going for 4 hours in one day and getting bored or even skipping many days at once. This also makes learning easier to take in and retain.

Do your projects

Your quizzes, assignments and projects all contribute to effective learning. Follow through with all of them. The learning is in the doing.

After learning

Show off your work

You see this is where most people get it wrong, they show off their certificates. Don't be like them, show off your work. What did you do with the knowledge? Show the world your projects. 

Upload it on social media, tag the platform or teacher offering that course. This has so many benefits. The platform or teacher is likely to repost you because hey, it's a boost to them and it is social proof. Also, people are likely to come asking you how you did it and maybe even prefer you teach them.

See how you're slowly building your rep? Be more strategic. For every course you take, implement it and tell the world about it. It's better that way.

Apply for jobs

To put yourself out there some more, apply for jobs. This is even great as you have evidence of action. Recruiters love action takers. They want to see that when they train you, it won't be a waste. They want to see that you can take initiative. 

The best part? 

You have proven all of this by taking your course and implementing what you learned. You also have a great story to tell during your behavioural interview. Awesome!

Take some more

Don't stop there. By now, you have built some confidence. The confidence that comes from taking action and inching closer to your goal. 

Take more courses related to that course. For instance if you took a course on article writing, take one on SEO. If you took a course on front end development, take one on back end development.

Just keep learning, implementing and keep growing. Slowly but surely, you're solidifying yourself as an expert in your field one course at a time.

There you have it, you not just accumulating certificates anymore. You're now more intentional and strategic about your learning and growth. 

If you can implement this, I can assure you in just one year, you'd be miles ahead of those who simply take courses for bragging rights. 

Now, go forth and learn.