Learning at the Speed of You - Getting the Most out of Self-Paced Training Columbia SC

Posted by : Holly Dolezalek

Self-paced learning always sounds like a great idea. Learn at your own pace, on your own time, on your couch at 3 a.m. if you want to. Plus, online and computer-based learning can make your laptop or even your Blackberry into a mobile tutor. What could be better?

There's no question that it's convenient, and sometimes it can let you learn a skill or earn a certification that you couldn't have otherwise. But convenient doesn't mean easy. There's usually no instructor, and you might not have fellow learners to draw on, either. For that and other reasons, learning on your own can actually be harder than traditional learning.

"Students tend to underestimate the time commitment and academic rigor involved in online learning," says Karen Hanson, assistant dean for academic advising at Walden University, an online university based in Minneapolis.

Hanson is referring to taking online courses at a university, which are generally not self-paced; they include regular assignments, an instructor, and student-to-student interactions. (Most self-paced learning is conducted a synchronously, without a fixed starting date, although it sometimes has a fixed end date.)

But self-paced learning is different from traditional learning in its pace and delivery, not its content. If you take a self-paced module about network security, you have to grasp the same concepts as you would if you took a class. You also have to make sure you keep going, which can be harder when you are alone.

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