The Rise of E-Learning: Should you Enrol in an Online Course?
The e-learning trend has exploded in recent years, with this market being worth $165 billion in 2015, rising to $182 billion by 2017 and set to be worth a massive $240 billion by 2023.
Why has e-learning suddenly become so popular?
An easier question would be: why didn’t it become more popular sooner?
E-learning has so many benefits, both for students, their families and even for the tutors: flexibility, lower costs and more choice of topics to study, to name but a few.
However, is online education for you? Now that is the billion-dollar question.
Keep reading to find out if this trend could improve both your career prospects and even your overall happiness.
Do you want to advance in your career?
According to a recent survey, 44% of online students stated that their employment prospects improved after taking an online course in their chosen field.
Furthermore, within 12 months of graduating from an online course, 45% saw an increase in their salary.
There are thousands of online courses available, most of which can help you gain invaluable skills that can aid you in either finding a new job or progressing in your current one, such as this opportunity to become a neonatal nurse practitioner, which allows flexible studying hours and ongoing learning support.
Do you need flexibility when it comes to learning?
Depending on your personal circumstances, traveling to a campus or evening class each week, or even every day, can seem an impossible feat.
However, there are many online course benefits. These include a lot more flexibility with the times that you can carry out your studying, as well as having the added bonus of being able to work from almost anywhere; your home, the local library, even a coffee shop if that is your preferred working environment.
People in healthcare are making the most of e-learning to grow in their careers. With hectic working hours, they refresh their skills by attending PALS and ACLS medical programs completely online.
Do you want to acquire new skills?
No, not the skills associated with your chosen course, those skills you can obtain from either on-site learning or from e-learning.
However, from e-learning, you can acquire two other very specific and much-sought-after skills:
Time management – Working remotely and to your own schedule means that you have to manage your studying time yourself effectively. There is no tutor instructing you to learn from 9 am-12 pm each day. You have to come up with your own learning schedule and stick to it.
Self-motivation – Not only do you have to set your own hours, but you also have to motivate yourself to work, even if you don’t want to or when other elements of your life get in the way. Self-motivation is an important skill to master for preparing to enter the workforce and e-learning can help you develop this attribute.
Do you want to save money?
Of course, you do. Who doesn’t? E-learning can be a much cheaper option than more traditional methods of studying.
Even if the course itself is the same price (and often it isn’t, it can be much lower), you will save money on many other aspects of your learning experience; no commuting costs and no textbooks to buy as most online courses offer free online literature.
Plus, working from home allows you to work around a job a lot easier than if you had to go to a college or other learning facility each day, meaning you can continue to earn as you study.
