How can something good come from something bad? We recognize the tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health crisis; however, it is also important to note the other resulting impacts brought about by the global safety precautions. Financial, social, situational and many other factors were influenced by the pandemic. However, if society gains insight from all this, then something good can come out of this pandemic.
The typical working day has changed drastically for the majority of professionals. The transition to an online working environment has brought many challenges, and most of us are ready to go back to the way things were before the pandemic. But wouldn’t it be a shame if we didn’t learn from and explore opportunities that arise from the pandemic’s situational impact?
You may be asking yourself: what can we improve? And, how?
To understand improvement opportunities, we must be able to indicate what is wrong with the original method of working, and more specifically with E-learning. According to research conducted by e-student1, the main problems people are faced with during E-Learning are:
- the impersonality of online working;
- the inability to gain feedback from colleagues, peers, professors, etc;
- the requirement of strong self-motivation and time-management skills.
I happen to have experienced this myself. In the past year, I have spent the entirety of my first year of university online. In addition, my engagement in Pink E-Learning gave me the opportunity to look ‘behind the scenes’ of setting up an online learning environment. With the knowledge and experience I gained, I listed a few measures that companies can take to avoid the common pitfalls.
Interactive functionalities on platform
I find it very important that within an organization people can give each other feedback in a learning environment. The option to review answers from your peers, colleagues or leaders and to receive feedback on your own progress in return is essential to address the impersonality of online learning. The more opportunities an E-Learning has to collaborate, review, or share progress, the more it can lead to real life learning and collaboration.
Allow people to find the time to learn
Luckily, the majority of E-learning companies allow participants to learn when they see fit. Having said that, people also need to be able to find the time to learn on their own. This is a challenge that the organization and the individual need to tackle. On an organizational level, companies need to realize that giving their people the opportunity for self-development does not just mean purchasing and providing E-Learnings, but also incorporating learning as an essential part of their culture and daily routines. Establishing successful learning routines is also a task of the individual learner. It often makes sense for an individual to complete a course on time management and activity planning to be able to follow through on essential learning activities later on.
Intrinsic motivation
I believe that the desire to learn should come from the individual rather than forced upon by a higher authority or the E-learning organization. Since the student is not controlled by fixed course timings, his or her intrinsic motivation must be high. It helps if the learning content is divided into small and attractive modules that have to be passed. Provide inspiring components, such as fun questions, intriguing videos, games or opportunities to collaborate online to complete a work-related challenge.
Overall, from my personal experience, I think that the idea of online learning is extremely underrated. I think the freedom to choose when to work is very important for each individual. It allows them to work when they want and explore their other interests on their own time. Especially when the individual takes initiative and expresses interest in learning, the entire process is extremely prosperous and efficient.
