An online learning platform is a webspace or portal for educational content and resources that offers a student everything they need in one place: lectures, resources, opportunities to meet and chat with other students, and more. It is also an excellent way for the student and the teacher to monitor student progress.
Online learning offers a wide range of benefits:
- The comfort of working from home
- Self-paced learning
- Improved technical, communication, and critical thinking skills
- Lower costs
- Better time management skills and more
The global e-learning market is expected to surpass $243 billion by 2022. In the United States, overall college enrollment has been declining in the last decade, but online student enrollment has been on the rise for the 14th year in a row. Due to the unprecedented disruption of the COVID19 pandemic, education systems in all corners of the world have been shaken to their core and forced to transform into some type of distance learning.
Whether you want to learn a new language or obtain career-advancing certifications, signing up for an online course could be just the perfect solution. The online class is typically provided through online learning platforms.
This blog post will explore what types of online learning platforms exist and how you can select one that works best for you.
Definition of an Online Learning Platform
Like any other online platform, one designed for learning represents a webspace or portal abundant with educational content and resources. This course content can be divided into different topics or subjects. It is typically uploaded to the platform by the course instructor or teacher, depending on the institution you’re signed up with.
An e-learning platform can be restricted by the membership (only those who are registered to it can access it), but it can also be free to access for anyone wanting to learn.
The benefits of an online course platform are that both students and teachers can track the students’ progress through the course material, and everything is neatly organized in one place. Additionally, students may also have an option of interacting with each other on the platform.
There are different types of online learning platforms:
- Learning Destination Sites: An LDS is a site where many different course creators offer their learning material. It’s sort of like Amazon, only for online education. You can choose the topics and instructors that sound appealing to you and sign up for an individual course based on your preferences. Programs offered through an LDS are typically self-paced.
- Learning Management Systems: An LMS is a software used internally within a specific organization or institution. Every school or university may have a different LMS platform based on the type of courses they offer (the most popular probably being Blackboard). It can be accessed online like an LDS, or an application that you need to download and install on your computer.
The course creation is, in this case, in the hands of the professors or anyone else who teaches in that organization or institution.
- Learning Management Ecosystems: A learning ecosystem is an extensive online learning tool that encompasses several software solutions, such as adaptive learning engines, learning content management features, course authoring software, tools for assessment, and more. LMEs are usually reserved for large organizations, schools, or universities that offer many online degree programs and learning resources.
How to Use an Online Learning Platform
Using an online training platform should be no different than logging onto a social network. You will have to sign up with a username or email and password.
Check whether you have live lectures to attend at specific times. If not, your entire course material may be available to you to watch or listen to at your own pace. Live lectures may be conducted through the course platform, or organized on a different application, such as Skype or Zoom.
Make sure to confer with your professor or educator about completing assignments. This can be done through the learning platform itself, video conferencing, submitting assignments by email, or some other way. If you have deadlines to complete your coursework, it will all likely be outlined in the platform, but it wouldn’t hurt to contact the instructor just in case.
What can you learn on an online platform?
The beauty of a virtual classroom is that you can learn practically anything! Some programs require practical skills, such as training to become a healthcare worker (nurse, doctor, etc.) or a tradesperson. However, most theoretical knowledge can easily be obtained through online learning.
Some of the most popular courses are those for the IT industry, such as computer science and data science courses. Digital marketing is also a popular topic these days, as well as all different kinds of management. You can also find courses to improve your soft skills, such as communication, leadership, teamwork, organization, and similar skills that aren’t necessarily tied to a specific job or career.
Additionally, you can sign up for an online learning experience to pick up a new hobby, such as digital painting, pottery, learning a new language, cooking, or others.
Keep in mind that not every program offers a professional certificate at the end. If you want to utilize your newfound knowledge or skills in a professional setting, you may want to sign up for a course that offers certification upon its completion. This is usually not a free course.
Conclusion
Remote learning platforms are the future of education. Even after the global health crisis is over, there will likely be a surge of students looking to improve their knowledge and career through self-paced online training.
A significant advantage of online learning is that you can learn anything you want! You can advance your academic career or choose to study something else entirely. You can polish your soft skills or take those art or music production lessons you’ve always wanted to attend.
If you are searching for a program to help you start a career in IT, then MyComputerCareer could be just the right fit. Contact us for more information about how you can obtain an online certificate in an IT field that will make you a computer expert. We’d love to answer any questions you may have!