[Lou McGill]

Why do you go online to learn and how do you know if you have been successful?

We are interested in questions like:-
Is it important for you to get credit (academic/professional) for online learning?
What other rewards do you get from learning online?
Are you more motivated by interest in a subject or by seeing an outcome from your learning (e.g. career, personal, community benefit)
What counts as ‘online learning’ for you? (Is it big, small, formal, informal…?)
What has been your greatest online learning success?

[Kamila]

The number 1 reason is convenience. In your own time. At your own place. no need to go out when it’s raining. Just get a cup of tea and immerse yourself in learning. Doesn’t it sound wonderful?!

2nd reason is the ability to view the webinar recordings if I am unable to attend the live webinar.

I also enjoy the interaction with the course leader during the webinar – the ability to raise my hand and ask questions.

The last, but not least I would like to mention, is knowing that you are studying with people form all over the world. It is truly international. This type of education does not discriminate, it is all-inclusive regardless of race, nationality, disability.

[Kamila]

I guess I got slightly carried away!!!
How do you know if you are successful? When you start implementing what you learned into your work. When you are able to have conversation on topics you did not know much about prior to your studies. When you complete the course and want to know more, learn more, top up your knowledge.

[Peter Cowan]

Online distance learning allows me to study anywhere rather than be tied to a physical location with set hours. It allows me to fit my study around my work.
It isn’t just academic study though – increasingly Continuing Professional Development is able to be done online allowing better access to resources to help in the reflective learning cycle and enabling better recording of it.
That leads on to the next element, that of success. In the academic sphere it can be seen in the most basic terms in relation to marks achieved. With CPD there is the added element of being able to relate learning to practice and, via the reflective learning cycle, to be able to show how this has improved personal performance / knowledge as well as forming part of the base for the next cycle.,

[John]

For me, online learning tends to be very focused, short and with a clear purpose. For longer courses, a strong community is helpful as this stimulates new directions of learning and is great for networking.