Sabilink Tech

June 12 2020 • 12 Mins read

“Content is King” is a popular saying across marketing and education spaces, its effect on the receiver is almost as important as way it is being delivered. Knowledge acquisition and retention is highly dependent on how the information is received. So when is self placed learning necessary and does its flexibility give it an edge over live online classes?

We will go over the fundamental benefits of both methods as well as the reason we feel our learning method is optimized to help participants excel.

Self-paced learning, as the name suggests is learning that occurs at the learners pace. It is not necessary to be online at the same time as the instructor or the other participants. It usually involves signing up for courses with pre-recorded videos and or actually searching for them online and then watching them at one’s convenience. Usually, the lessons are designed to be completed without the presence of a facilitator with quizzes to assess the participant’s progress.

Its advantages include:

Learners can go at their own pace:

The flexible nature of self paced learning means learners can chose when to have the classes and can even have them while on the go (with mobile phones and tablets). Watching videos again or even specific section of videos allows learners retain information more readily.

Ideal for long-term content:

Information that is unlikely to change in a very long time will work well to be distributed this way as its ability to stand the test of time makes it a big asset. While self-paced eLearning courses have a few advantages for both the trainer and the trainees, they also have a handful of drawbacks. The absence of a facilitator is one of the most significant disadvantages of self-paced learning. This means that unless the learner is able to communicate with the instructor via the Learning Management System, there is no opportunity for feedback or assistance from an experienced instructor. Individuals also do not have the opportunity to learn in collaborative environments or from other learners because they are learning on their own. This leaves them to make conclusions that may or may not be correct which defeats the whole purpose of learning. At Sabilink, we noticed these gaps in the learning model of several courses and are determined to help our participants learn under the most engaging and coordinated environment.

Live online learning usually occurs at a predetermined time. The participant and the instructor are both online at the same time. In this case, the instructor’s presence greatly aids the learning process as they set the pace, distribute information and give student instructions. The classes at Sabilink take into consideration the difficulties associated with Online learning with some of its benefits listed below.

Instant feedback:

The participants can receive immediate feedback and have questions answered, benefiting from the instructors knowledge and experience in real time. This contracts greatly with the self-paced learning method that basically leaves learners to find their feet on their own.

Interaction in real time:

While everyone appreciates the convenience of an online class, pre-recorded classes lack the excitement of learning and interacting in real-time as you would in a traditional classroom. Our live online classes combine the best of both worlds by allowing for interaction among classmate, asking the facilitators questions and enjoying socializing with other participants. Real-time question and answer sessions, with the only requirement being headphones, a microphone, and a camera, all of which are embedded in most devices. Participants also have the option of asking questions via online chat or verbally at a predetermined time. Facilitators are not interrupted by the class, the lesson proceeds smoothly, and they are able to answer all questions at the appropriate time.

Collaborating with peers:

This is probably what makes Sabilink’s courses the most unique. Working and learning in silos is never good for development across board. We create and enabling environment for participants to interact, unblock, learn from and even grade one another. this helps team bonding and teaches actual soft skills, away from the main course. Our peer review and break out sessions have been designed to achieve this and has been proven to achieve monumental results.

When deciding what eLearning approach is best for you, consider the objective and how best it suits you. Then you should select the option that will result in the maximum acquisition, retention and learning. You can sign up to any of our courses to experience the best learning experience you’ll find anywhere on the internet.