Online Learning

What is online learning?

Online learning, often referred to as e-learning, is any type of education where the method of instruction and learning takes place on the internet. Online students access course materials, participate in discussions, complete assignments, and interact with instructors in a virtual classroom. Online education can be used for a variety of different purposes beyond schools and universities, including opportunities for building new skills in the workplace.

Example: To best accommodate our remote workers, we implemented online learning programs for everything from onboarding to technical skills training. 

What are the benefits of online learning? 

The online teaching and learning experience can be synchronous, asynchronous, or follow a blended learning approach, offering a level of flexibility that traditional classroom settings can’t match. Online access to materials any time and from anywhere, providing consistent, high-quality learning experiences to anyone with a reliable internet connection. 

Online programs often utilize a learning management system (LMS) to distribute content, paired with adaptive learning technology that personalizes content to each individual learner’s unique needs. Embedded features like screen readers, closed captioning, and keyboard navigation ensure content is accessible to learners with visual, auditory, physical, and mental disabilities. 

Online learning best practices

The best way to inspire learners in the online classroom or in online workplace training is to lean into interactivity. You can incorporate gamification aspects like leaderboards, badges, and weekly challenges or distribute microlearning courses that focus content into bite-sized, quick-hitting chunks. Try creating scenario-based simulations that help learners navigate real-world situations in a risk-free, virtual environment or build a review course that uses digital flashcards and drag-and-drop activities. Finally, always make space for peer-to-peer interaction via virtual breakout rooms, collaborative projects, or online mentorship programs.