Tips for Purchasing Online Learning
With the recent rise of online learning, more and more people are realising the benefits of studying online. The main advantage is the flexibility these types of courses provide over regular learning. Online courses not only offer learning at any time and any place; they often provide better end results than face-to-face training. This is due to the learner being able to study at their own pace and revisit any aspect of the course they want in their own time.
If you are looking for online training for either yourself or your staff, there are a few things that you need to consider. Here are some tips to get you started.
Learning Objectives
Be clear on what you are trying to achieve, and ensure that the course you choose aligns with these goals. Are you looking to become a fully qualified assessor, for example? Then the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) will allow you to assess learners both in the workplace and in learning environments.
Support Provided
The one thing people often worry about when undertaking distance learning is that they won’t have the support they need to complete the course. Be sure to take the time to see what level of support the learning provider offers, and whether this help will be available out of hours too. You don’t want to be stuck on part of your course at 9pm with no support on hand until 9am the next day when you have to be back at work.
Check the Suitability of Your Devices
Before you start on the course, it is important you check whether you are going to need to purchase any additional equipment or software. Do you need Adobe Flash in order to complete the course? If you have a Macbook you may struggle with this as Apple doesn’t support Flash. Also, if you are thinking about using a tablet or smartphone to access the courses, are the courses you are looking at going to be mobile responsive? You don’t want to get halfway through a module and realise that you have missed out on half of the content due to it being cut off your screen!
Do Your Research
As you are probably aware, there are lots of different acronyms when it comes to Assessor courses. With qualifications such as QCF, RQF, GLH, TQT, understanding what they all mean is important to help you choose the right course. If you are unsure as to which qualification you need, you are always best ringing up the training provider as they will be able to understand your individual circumstances.
Additional Charges
Many money-motivated training centres will leave you with extortionate extension fees if you miss a deadline for whatever reason. We would always recommend that you read the small print before you start an online course. You may be someone that would never dream of missing a deadline, but life happens and you need to be aware of any additional expenses you may incur if you did require an extension.
If you would like any more advice or help with choosing the right training provider, please feel free to have a chat with our team on 01205 805 155. We are more than happy to run through the options with you and point you in the right direction
Steve is a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
He provides Educational Consultancy to the 19+ sector as well as being an Assessor, IQA, EPA and Digital Marketing Professional. When not doing any of these he finds time, every now and then, to write blogs and articles.