4 Styles of Online Learning: Which is Best for You?
There are a variety of different types of online learning available that are designed to appeal to different learning styles. This blog post will take you through 4 different styles of online learning: eLearning, eBooks, Distance Learning and Video Courses, explaining how each can benefit you.
eLearning
eLearning courses are designed to be interactive to keep learners engaged. This is achieved through the inclusion of interactive elements such as quizzes, puzzles, clickable images, short video clips and more. Once you have been through all of the course content, there will then be a final assessment to test and consolidate your knowledge.
Due to the hands-on nature of this type of learning, eLearning is especially beneficial to kinaesthetic learners who perform best when they are actively involved and engaged in their learning. In fact, eLearning will have something for most types of learners as it incorporates visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic elements.
Of course, as with all types of online learning, eLearning is a great option for those who have a busier lifestyle or prefer to learn at their own pace as learning can be completed at any time, from anywhere!
eBooks
eBooks are delivered through online, text-based workbooks that can be accessed anytime. These types of courses are great for people who learn best through reading the course content and interpreting the information in their own way. If you choose to learn through eBooks, you may find it effective to take notes, create mind maps or use flashcards to consolidate your knowledge before taking the end assessment.
The beauty of eBooks is that they give you the freedom to learn in whichever way you prefer. The online workbooks contain all of the baseline information you need which you can then choose to transform into your own learning materials. If you are a more visual learner, you may find it useful to create a diagram of what you’ve learned. If you’re an aural learner, you might find it effective to record a voice memo of the information. The choice is yours!
Distance Learning
Distance Learning is similar to eBook learning, the only difference is you will receive a physical copy of the workbook to learn from. This can be helpful for people who want to learn in a similar way to eBooks but don’t want to sit in front of screens for extended periods of time. It also gives learners the option to make notes in the workbook or highlight important information. Once you are confident with the course materials, you will then be able to take your final assessment online.
Video Courses
As you can probably gather, Video Courses deliver course materials through a series of video-based content. This is a great option if you need to provide learning to a large group or class as the course content can be shown to many people at once. Video Courses can also prove more effective for visual and aural learners, or learners who don’t get on well with large amounts of text. To get the most out of video learning, consolidate your learning by taking notes as you watch the content and come back to them over time.
As explored above, there are different benefits for each type of online learning. Whilst it is important to find the method of course delivery that best suits you, it is also important to find the best way to consolidate your knowledge. As already explored in this blog post, this may be through note taking, recording voice notes, creating flash cards, or drawing a mind map. Course delivery and learning consolidation can then go hand in hand to ensure that you have a valuable and effective learning experience.
We hope that you found this blog post useful in deciding which type of online learning is the best for you.
Which learning style do you prefer? Head over to our Facebook and Twitter pages and let us know!