There’s more than one way to learn. The easiest way for you to absorb new information is probably different from the employee you just hired or the clients you work with online or over the phone. But e-learning increasingly allows you to choose from multiple formats so that you and the people you work with can all gain the same valuable skills, whether it’s brushing up your knowledge of Adobe Photoshop or mastering content marketing.
With e-learning predicted to grow rapidly (corporate e-learning has expanded 900% in the past 16 years, and, by next year, 50% of classes will likely be held online), here are some of the best e-learning methods to make the most of digital resources like Learn from Fiverr.
Learn a little each day.
Why suffer through an hours-long PowerPoint presentation when you can zoom in on the exact information you need to learn? Microlearning lets you absorb small doses of focused information quickly and effectively in the form of visuals, videos, exercises, and interactive infographics, often followed up with quizzes that provide instant feedback. Microlearning is ideal for corporate formal learning – and for picking up concepts on the go or on the job.
Go in depth with a webinar.
Not everything can be learned in quick micro doses. Sometimes you need to explore the complexity of a subject – like Data Storytelling – that only an expert guest speaker or seminar leader can help you investigate over the course of many hours or even days. Webinars are simply seminars or workshops in e-format, with the added advantage of letting you push pause whenever you need a break.
Find a mentor.
Whether you’re a freelancer seeking the guidance of someone more established in your field, or an entrepreneur looking for support for your employees, online mentoring is another great way to e-learn. A mentor provides crucial one-on-one time and guides you towards achieving your educational and professional goals.
Make learning a game.
What’s good about a game? It’s fun, it’s competitive, and it makes you want to win. Gamification provides incentives to take your e-learning to the next level, as long as you keep playing. Imagine removing the dread you have about learning something you need to know – like Advanced Google Analytics – and making it fun. That’s the power of gamification.
Join a group.
You don’t have to go it alone. Some people learn best in groups, and social learning provides online group space to chat in discussion forums, ask questions, share documents, collaborate, and exchange new and different perspectives on the topic at hand. Join the discussion to learn best practices and helpful tips from your entrepreneurial peers.
Read a (digital) textbook.
Like an old-school textbook, but better, digital textbooks make it easy to bookmark and retrieve crucial information without sifting through pages to find the term you meant to look up. Digital textbooks are also easier to update, which makes them especially valuable when it comes to industries where you’ll always want the most recent and relevant information, such as viral marketing.
Scroll through your phone.
Mobile learning makes sense. You take your phone with you everywhere, so now you can take the classroom with you too. Many kinds of e-learning – microlearning, for example, or gamification – can also take place on your phone, giving you even greater flexibility with how and when you learn.
Filter your content.
Sometimes the best way to learn is to go straight to the (right) source and read as much as possible. But you know that the amount of content out there is overwhelming. Curated, daily content delivery that’s identified, sourced, and delivered straight to you is also an effective e-learning tool. Search for the best content curators or subject matter experts (SMEs) in your field and subscribe to their email newsletters and social media feeds. Content curation lets you read only and exactly what you need to know about, for example, the latest in Facebook ads targeting. One lesson is easy to master: e-learning is the future of all learning. It lets you stay competitive in fields where skills have short shelf lives or require constant updating. With the global e-learning industry expected to grow by 11% in just the next two years, it’s time to join an online classroom and learn something new.
What’s your favorite way to e-learn? How has e-learning helped you? Tell us in the comments below.
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