Online Learning is…
There I said it - online learning is not what you think.
When people find out I work in online learning, I get bombarded with a lot of questions and a lot of skepticism! If I’m being honest, it has a bad rep and this is a small attempt to make it right.
Online learning is many things, but here are 5 things that it is NOT…
1/ Recorded videos 🎥
The first wave of edtech was about making content easy to access. Recorded videos were one format that allowed you to learn from anyone in the world. With new formats like cohort-based courses, blended learning and learning communities coming in, online learning has taken leaps and bounds since then.
2/ Lonely 🧑🏻
A lot of people feel that online learning is a lone quest. That couldn’t be far from the truth. Learning inherently is a social activity, it is a multiplayer game. New formats recognise this and bake peer interactions into the learning experience.
3/ Boring 😴
If you order some food at a restaurant that you don’t like, you don’t think “All food is bad”, you think “This restaurant (or dish) is bad” . If you’re disengaged in an online learning experience - it is reflective of the experience you’ve had, not online learning at large.
4/ Cheaper 💸
A lot of time people are shocked by how much online learning can cost. I work in this space and sometimes even I’m amazed! But just because there is no brick and mortar that does not mean it is not meaningful for the learner and effort for the facilitator. In fact, if anything, it is harder to design for the online/ hybrid world because attention spans are so much lower and disengaging is very easy.
5/ Superficial 👻
Just because learning is happening on a screen does not make it any less impactful. We can learn from instructors and peers all over the world. When integrated with practice and conversation, online learning is a really powerful tool.
In a nutshell, online learning is not just content and not necessarily cheaper but is definitely communal, engaging and meaningful. It’s a space here to stay and one that I am really hopeful about!
What are some other things you’ve heard or thought about online learning? Write to me, would love to hear from you!