The Top Benefits of Remote Learning
While you may be eager to get back into a physical classroom, the benefits of remote learning might be enough to persuade you to carry on learning at home.
Why has remote learning become more prominent?
The COVID-19 pandemic forced us all into a new way of living and remote learning was the only option for a lot of people. But that’s not to say it hasn’t always been available for those in higher education.
Distance Learning Centre has been offering remote courses for more than twenty years and today we have more than 250 courses available.
If you’re looking to expand your knowledge base, or learn a new skill then doing it remotely could be the best option for you.
Benefits of remote learning
Work in a safer environment
One of the biggest benefits of remote learning is the option to work in a safer environment. Whilst we like the idea of getting back to a normal way of living, having remote learning as an option allows us to work with no risk of infecting others or having them infect us.
Flexible timetable
Everyone leads a busy life, now more than ever, so whether you’re fitting in your learning around another job, social aspects of your life, family time, looking after children, or anything else - the flexible timetable comes in handy to allow you to study when you can.
The flexible timetable may also suit people who prefer to work at certain times of the day, you might be more productive first thing in the morning or later in the evening. The huge draw of remote learning is that you can do it when it suits you best.
Work at own pace
When learning in a classroom a teacher will only have a set amount of time that can be given to a specific topic, so if you don’t understand it you’ll have to make a note to revisit that particular item later. Whereas if you’re learning from home you can work at your own pace and take the time needed to ensure that you grasp a particular element of the learning you’re doing.
When you’re working at your own pace you’re less likely to feel rushed or intimidated by other students who may have grasped something that you didn’t the first time you heard it.
A biology instructor at Duke University told the APM podcast Educate, that whilst in the classroom students would be less likely to answer questions, but when teaching over Zoom she gave them the opportunity to answer questions anonymously. She said that more students than ever are answering the questions she puts to them, and many don’t understand what is being taught.
She explained she put to them a question she deemed easy to start them off and more than half the class actually answered incorrectly. From this she realised that those who were volunteering the answers in class do so because they know the answer, whilst those who might have trouble understanding the topic will shy away from answering.
When you’re learning remotely you have more of an opportunity to give yourself the time to fully understand a topic before you move on to the next, and you don’t have to shy away from the fact that you might not understand something the first time around.
Promotes self-discipline
A huge benefit of remote learning is that you’ll have to become more disciplined with your time. Whilst you’ll have the ability to learn at your own pace, you’ll also have to ensure that you don’t spend your allotted learning time procrastinating with other things. It’s easy to get caught up scrolling through social media, checking the latest headlines or doing a little online shopping, but when you’ve spent two hours doing that and not studying you’ll feel deflated and annoyed.
It might take some practice, but when you’re learning remotely you’ll find what works best for you to ensure that you discipline yourself to spend that time fully immersed in what you need to be doing rather than what you want to be doing.
Saves time and money
When learning at home you’ll save time and money in considerable amounts by not having to travel to and from classes.
The money you save on train or bus fares, taxi rides or petrol and parking would add up considerably over time.
Travel time can certainly add up too, especially if your classes are set at peak hours. You could get stuck in traffic either getting there or coming home. By learning remotely from home you’ll save huge amounts of time by not travelling to classes.
Real life preparation
Since the COVID-19 pandemic working from home has become the norm for many people, as offices were forced to close when lockdowns hit. Working from home is certainly a lifestyle adjustment for those who are used to workplace settings, and it can take time to become accustomed to it.
By learning remotely at home you’ll have the benefit of real life preparation that could see you potentially working remotely from home in the future. You’ll be able to indicate to prospective employers that you’ve spent time working from home on a learning course and that you have the ability and drive to work efficiently in different environments. This could make you a more desirable employee than someone who has never worked from home before, and might struggle with the discipline that often comes with it.
The benefits of remote learning have become more and more apparent and people who have never done this before now have a sense of just how much better it can be compared to traditional classes. Browse our huge catalogue of distance learning courses to start learning new skills today!
