The past few years have turned out to be a series of big changes. But despite what’s going on in the world, it looks as though our desire to learn hasn’t stopped growing.
Online learning platforms are reporting a spike in the number of new learners as more and more people are going online to pursue new skills.
Luckily, there are many free online courses available to make self-improvement and professional growth a reality this year. If you haven't joined in yet, here are just a few benefits of online learning to inspire you to start learning online to build up your career.
Have you been completing your assignments and projects online? Congratulations! That means you already have your very own online portfolio, ready to share with clients and recruiters for the next step of your career.
In the past, you had to manually collect all of your certificates and assignments into a scrapbook or a digital portfolio. But now, online learning platforms actually do most of the work for you.
Online learning allows you to master new skills and prove that you’ve learned them at the same time. The OpenLearning platform automatically adds your achievements to your profile page—everything from completed activities, to certificates and badges:
In 2012, it was the ‘year of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)’. For the first time, prestigious universities began to share their educational content entirely for free. But many first-generation MOOCs focused mainly on uploading content and offered very few opportunities for learners to interact.
Now, OpenLearning has evolved to support the rich social interactions that we have come to expect in our online lives: almost like a social media platform for education.
In many of today’s online courses, you’ll find dedicated facilitators, familiar sharing tools, and a safe and welcoming online space. You’ll be encouraged to meet, support and interact with a diverse community of learners who are tuning in at the same time as you are._short-clip_3-2.gif?width=600&name=(Sydney-edited-version)_short-clip_3-2.gif)
Above all, joining an online course means that you are becoming a part of the global online learning community. We have over 2.8 million users from 35 different countries on OpenLearning alone! You never know who you'll meet next, whether it's an old classmate, a fellow enthusiast, or even your next business partner.
Online courses can be as flexible as you want them to be: Join a single course or join a whole online degree programme. Log in once a week, or set a daily reminder to complete your online learning tasks. It is your decision to enjoy studying on your own terms.
The beauty of online learning is that you can dive in whenever you’re ready, but remember:
You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
— Rabindranath Tagore
In an online course, you are the master of your own learning journey. Be open to the experience of actively involving yourself in the online community: discuss your ideas, work in groups, ask questions, do experiments, get creative, and try new things. You have the power to create your online learning environment and experience a great one!
These are just three reasons to embark on your own online learning journey. Thanks to social distancing, many of us also have some extra time on our hands. Therefore, why not take this advantage of online learning for your career advancement?
Create your free learner account and enrol today.
Topics: Learners
