10 Reasons to Study Online Compared to Face to Face
It’s easy to think that by studying online you won’t get the full experience of attending a face to face lesson. Although the benefits may be different to an in-person session, gone are the days of enduring watching someone go through a slideshow for hours on end. With technological advancements being made all the time, you can still get just as much out of learning online. Here’s 10 reasons how…
1. Flexibility
Online learning allows you to study at your own pace and on your own schedule, making it a great option for balancing your busy life and other commitments. You can study from anywhere whenever you like, which means you don’t have to make time for being here, there and everywhere and potentially paying for overnight accommodation like you might for face to face training.
2. Convenience
On that note, online courses eliminate the need to commute to a physical location, saving you time and money. You also have access to all course materials and resources online, making it easy to study and complete your coursework, assignments and reflective learning tasks. Plus, if you ever need to refer back to anything, you don’t have to dig through some hand-scribbled notes and you can even share your learning materials with your team to tackle a problem together.
3. Cost-effective
You’ll find in most cases, online courses often have lower tuition fees compared to traditional face to face courses. This is great for if you or your practice is on a tight budget but you are still looking to invest in your career and learning development. You can compare prices of our online learning and face to face courses for vets and nurses here to see what we mean.
4. Wide range of options
Because of the flexibility of online courses, there is a wider range of courses and programmes than may be available to you compared to those held in a traditional classroom setting. As you’re not tied down, you can have the opportunity to study from top universities and institutions around the world, like our Academy Series held in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. All of our speakers are world-renowned, many of which are highly experienced in a veterinary clinic environment so everything you learn will be relevant to your own practice.
5. Self-paced learning
In an online course, you can move through the material at a pace that suits you, rather than being constrained by the pace of the class as a whole. If you need longer on one topic, you can take all the time you need and leave questions for your Module Tutor as you progress. Or, if you’re covering basics that you’ve already mastered, you can move onto the more challenging areas when you’re ready.
6. Networking opportunities
Online learning provides ample opportunities to connect with other students, professors and veterinary professionals around the world through online forums, discussion boards, and social media groups, so you can build a professional network that can be beneficial for your future career.
7. Access to updated and current resources
The beauty of online learning means that you don’t have to wait for the most up-to-date resources, as there is no lag time in getting new materials or information out. This can be especially important when veterinary technology and research are advancing at such a rapid pace.
8. Improved retention
Research suggests that students retain more information when studying online, due to the ability to review the material at their own pace and the interactive nature of many online courses. This is especially important to us as we want to ensure you fully understand what is being taught and that you can apply this knowledge. It’s not about how many answers you can remember, but about how well you understand and how confident you feel during your everyday work.
9. Increased engagement
When you picture learning online, you might think it’s a speaker talking through a slideshow made in 2008 for six hours straight. This is no longer the case! Our online learning courses are designed specifically to engage you and test your knowledge through quizzes, polls, discussion boards and more. These interactive tools can also provide valuable feedback to our speakers on your understanding and progress, especially through reflective learning so you can monitor your own individual success. Get a taste of what online learning is like with us by heading over to our Small Animal Surgery or Small Animal Medicine explore sites.
10. Career advancement
Online learning can provide the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge that can help advance your career. Many employers value the self-motivation and technological proficiency that comes with online learning. Additionally, you can gain a world-recognised qualification awarded by ISVPS. Finally, you can structure the next steps of your career progression with My Veterinary Career and My Veterinary Nurse Career.
Now that you know more about online learning compared to a face to face option, we hope you can make a more informed decision about which learning method is best for you. With its flexibility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness, online learning can be a great option if you’re looking to pursue a career in veterinary education. So, will you give it a shot?
To find out more about online learning, browse our courses for vets and nurses.
