{"id":9467,"date":"2019-08-06T17:00:07","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T21:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=9467"},"modified":"2019-08-06T17:02:20","modified_gmt":"2019-08-06T21:02:20","slug":"are-online-courses-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/are-online-courses-worth-it","title":{"rendered":"Are Online Courses Worth It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Online education is making digital skills training more accessible than ever before, offering professionals of all levels a convenient path to career and personal development. But, some people may still be skeptical of online education, particularly of courses that use a \u201c<\/span>learn at your own pace<\/span><\/a>\u201d model. Completion rates for these types of online courses tend to hover between 0.5 percent to 10 percent, which is not very convincing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite that, there is a growing body of evidence to support online learning. For example, a recent survey of 1,000 online student learners found that: 91 percent said it improved their professional life, 90 percent claimed it made them a more confident leader, and 93 percent said it improved their resume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An even larger survey, featuring 52,000 respondents, found that 60 percent developed skills they were using in a new position, with 40 percent claiming it improved their candidacy for a new job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, online education can have an impact. That said, not all online courses are made the same. Here are some questions to ask when choosing an online certificate course.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Are the instructors experienced and currently working in the industry?”<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you ever had a great high school teacher, you know the impact they can have on your understanding and appreciation for a subject. The same is true in the online space, where the caliber of instructors can make a tangible difference. As Bill Gates said, \u201cTechnology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is one of the reasons why BrainStation launched Online Live, which gives professionals the chance to learn from industry experts through real-time, interactive lectures in an engaging, online classroom. It\u2019s important to us that Instructors are currently working in the field so that they can update the curriculum on a daily basis and ensure that students are learning the very latest techniques and tools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n