Learning online is different to learning in a classroom and this article discusses the relative benefits of learning online versus group discussion and more traditional methods of learning and training. So what is learning online? Anytime a person goes online, it can be argued that they are learning something. It might only be a trivial item like what their friends are doing on mandyfacebook or the time of the next train to London, but they are learning. Taking that to the next level, ask yourself, as a manager, what do you want them to learn or how will the learning benefit your business or service. Clearly finding out that Debbie is friends with Charlotte on Twitter is not very useful. (Incidentally, how do you currently select people for classroom training, do you send everyone on the same course?... thought so) Online learning allows learners to move at their own pace. So no stopping to wait for slower learners to catch up or waiting while more able ones try to catch the trainer out... Learning materials can be released daily, weekly or at any interval to suit you or your learners. You can specify that a learner must study and complete Module X before moving onto Module Y for example. You really can get that level of control.. Everything on a computer is logged - that can help you get close control of your business Every time you (or any body) visits any webpage, they leave an virtual footprint. (When you shop online, have you ever wondered how stores can "remember" you?) Taking that a stage further, if we can chose what websites(courses) our staff look at and what pages they look at (the answers they give to tests etc) this can give us very powerful information. But won't this take away from my existing training? No, it will give it another dimension. Imagine, if you were able to say "Make sure you read that cases study" and you could actually get proof of who has done so real evidence for appraisal, disciplinary, health and safety & legal compliance etc etc all without you lifting a finger..
Do you need a special computer to learn online? No, good online learning & training should be able to be viewed over an ordinary computer Does online learning include sound & video? Almost anything you can do in a classroom, you can replicate online.. Video, sound, pictures, anything Will learning online replace classroom based activities? We don't think so, but it can certainly be used as a valuable to for management. There are some things which are best learnt in the classroom. These include the so-called "soft skills" where discussion and debate are part of the learning process. More technical skill areas and learning the theory of something can easily be transferred to online. (For instance, you aren't going learn how to present the evening news on TV by completing a presentation skills course- but you can learn the theoretical parts, relaxation techniques etc)
It isn’t really as hard as it sounds. Let’s get rid of all those things that are hard to do. If you don’t know how to design and construct a website from scratch, you can use desktop publishing software that makes it easier to construct a website. Another option is to have your website designed by a professional. Professional website designers have a more mature outlook in designing websites. Furthermore, you are given guarantees that the website they constructed for you will not suddenly collapse or malfunction.
Now, the first thing to do is to determine what kind of instruction you will give in your website. Pattern your website after your topic of instruction so that you have a themed look to your website. If you are a mechanic, try having some pictures of tools or maybe a tire included on the site as part of the background wallpaper or in the video instruction section of the website. Next, you will need those instructional videos for your viewing public. Begin by writing a script for your instructional spiel. Divide your script with respect to the stages or levels of your instruction topic. Determine the price you will charge for your educational video service. Once you are done, you can embed the video into your website and see the final product.
If you are satisfied with what you’ve done so far, you can look for a website hosting service provider. Mind you, some website hosting providers will design the site for you for a fee if you so wish it. Aside from website hosting fees, you will have to pay for domain name fees as well as other charges that the website hosting company deems fair to charge you. Also, you need to be specific about the bandwidth that your hosting provider will give you. This is to ensure that your video streams will not slow down due to heavy user traffic.
Now that you are ready to start selling, you need to have a place where you can deposit your online cash. You will have to open a merchant account in a bank and have the bank and the hosting provider configure your website so that the payments you receive are forwarded to your merchant account.
Don’t be nervous. This will probably be a little heavy on the pocket but it will not cost as much as investments in stocks and bonds. Moreover, if your business does not earn you anything, you can stop and cut your losses or research and apply some advertising strategies.
Finally, don’t think of this venture as a pioneering enterprise. Internet video streaming for purposes of formal education and instruction has been in use for a number of years now. Even so, most instructional websites that have gardening tutorials, computer troubleshooting tutorials and a whole score of other tutorials do not have video streaming instruction in their web pages. Video streaming as a method for education and instruction is less than 10 years old.
The advantage of using video streaming is that it gives you the ability to convey your instruction without difficulty since people see you doing the action as you speak the words to demonstrate it. It certainly is better than reading or composing a manual. If you go for the write a manual method, you will need a pretty good writer who can translate technical details into more human terms. The writer will also need to be able to aptly describe necessary movements and motions for the student to understand the instruction.
It certainly is better to listen and watch somebody fixing a wall fan while watching him than holding a book in one hand and a screwdriver on the other. If you put yourself in place of the student, you will be able to imagine how easy it will be to learn from watching a person perform a lesson instead of reading about it.
People keep saying that our future lies in our children. To get to the future, we need to educate our children first. What better way to teach than to have instructional videos ready for them to learn from and enjoy.
Both Jonathan Senior & T. Detty are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jonathan Senior has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, Video. This short report was brought to you by Sharp End Training. The UK's leading workplace assessment company.We can help you get more value from your training budget and spending by helping you accurately target where you spend money.Using our range of onlin. Jonathan Senior's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
T. Detty has sinced written about articles on various topics from SEO Search Engine Optimization, Site Promotion and Marketing. Terry Detty, 42, enjoys all aspects of internet marketing and getting out for a breath of fresh air occasionally. and. T. Detty's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.