Who Needs Grad School When You Can Access Online Training?

The conundrum many individuals (and not just college-age students) face is whether to pursue that graduate degree or take one’s chances by attempting to procure a job with just a bachelors degree. It all depends on which field you want to pursue; there are some fields where education is the utmost necessity, but for many of us, we cannot put off career advancement for climbing the academic ladder towards a masters degree.

There are a number of reasons why students decide to forgo obtaining a graduate degree in favor of entering the workforce. The first, and most daunting of reasons is the debt that a college education saddles us with as soon as we leave the hallowed halls of academia. Who wants to plunge even more in debt for a graduate degree? Let’s keep in mind that graduate credits cost at least 50 percent more than undergraduate credits, so a two-year masters program might end up costing almost as much as a four-year undergraduate program.

Second, we might be squandering opportunities that are open to us while we toil away for another two years. There is no rhyme or reason to the job market these days; no one can say for certain whether a graduate degree will open more doors than a bachelors, or even plain old life experience, if you happen to be considering going back to school after you’ve been in the workforce for an extended period of time.

Third, many of today’s most marketable skills can be self-taught. Topics like social media, Search Engine Optimization, and other types of Internet technologies can be learned by doing, as well as through online training. The costs of obtaining these skills are significantly less than graduate degree programs, and you have access to an infinite wealth of information just by having a computer and a high-speed Internet connection. But, again, depending on what knowledge quest you’re on, the choice is yours.

Make no mistake – we’re true advocates of education here; but, we much prefer quality over quantity. Investigate your options and let us know which decision you’ve reached.

For the best in online training, make sure you check out Coggno.com in your travels.

Need to Learn Something? Learn It Online!

Those of us who can remember way, way back to 1986 (those of us who were alive, that is) remember a song by a group named Timbuk3 called, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” The song was, sadly, a one-hit wonder for the group, and the lyrics didn’t exactly depict a “Walking on Sunshine” vibe about the world. Nevertheless, the future has turned out brighter for those of us pursuing training and education, because we can learn almost anything online. So, nyah, nyah to Timbuk3, because in 2012, we’ve gotten the last laugh.

Some education experts believe in the possibility that online education might very well endanger the existence of the bricks-and-mortar university, just like Amazon.com is slowly but surely putting bookstores large and small out of business. That might very well be the case, but for many people,  the classroom experience cannot come close to the value of online education and training. Many factors contribute to that; most of all the need for convenience while we struggle to make ends meet and hang onto our jobs post-recession. The luxury of pitching one’s livelihood to return to the hallowed halls of academia just cannot be accomplished in today’s uncertain economy.

Today’s online training and degree programs manage to teach marketable skills to individuals at the fraction of the cost of a college education. Now, you can still hold down a job and not have to worry about racing to make that six-o’clock class at the local community college. Instead, you get to curl up in your bed with your laptop or tablet and do the work at your own pace.

Granted online education is still in its infancy, but it is advancing rapidly. True, this does not bode well for academia, but let’s face facts: we will always need education. Whichever form it takes is moot, so long as it is effective. Whether you’re taking a single class for personal enrichment, pursuing a degree, or increasing your skill set to get ahead in your career, online is the way to go. And yes, the future of education really is bright, thanks to some good old-fashioned technological ingenuity.

For more information about how you can access the best of the best of online training courses, visit Coggno.com.

Cobbled Together “Frankencourses” Are a Big No No!

We’ve all seen that “cobbled together” look just about everywhere: clothes, furniture, food; you name it, it’s out there. Also included on the list are online learning courses. Sometimes, course creators can go overboard using design elements and other tools until the course becomes one giant mishmash, like Frankenstein himself.

When an e-learning course is put together, there are a large number of tools that are used to give the material a logical flow, making it easy to follow as well as easy to absorb. Sometimes, using too many tools can spoil the look and feel of the course, and turn off learners (the old “too many cooks” scenario). When that happens, learners are less likely to want to complete the course, not only turning it into a waste of time, but a waste of money as well. The last thing you want to do is spend time navigating through a convoluted course with so many bells and whistles that you end up cross-eyed without even trying.

Course creators need to take the time to present materials in a palatable way that will encourage learners to stay the course (pun intended), as well as really learn what they need to. The best course of action (yes, another pun!) is to keep it straightforward while utilizing subtly appealing graphics that will keep the learner engaged. Familiarize yourself with authoring tools, choose a couple and put them to work. Don’t pick a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. When you take too many elements from too many different places, you wind up with Frankenstein. And no one wants to learn from Frankenstein. A perfect example is this blog entry from our pals over at Articulate Network.

If you’ve been “Frankensteined” by an e-learning course, we want to hear about it. Submit your story or comment on our post. And if you’re looking for a two-hour reprieve from your online learning endeavors, it’s time to watch Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. Some very prominent e-learning experts can quote that classic almost verbatim!

For more information about how you can access the best of the best of online training courses, visit Coggno.com.

Educational Big Wigs Approve of Online Education and Training (Yeah, They Really Do!)

A couple of weeks ago, those idea-hounds over at the TED Web site posted a blog about third-generation Ph.D. Daphne Koller extolling the virtues of online training and education at one of their seminars. Now, some of you would think that Ms. Koller would be something of an educational snob and not think too highly of online learning, but surprise! she’s all for it.

Good schools can be out of reach for many people all over the world, even here in North America where the top institutes of higher learning are located. At the TED seminar, Ms. Koller quoted New York Times editorialist Thomas Friedman by telling everyone, “Big breakthoughs happen when what is suddenly possible meets what is desperately necessary.” And obtaining a quality education online is certainly a breakthrough that has helped millions of people obtain what is desperately necessary.

What differentiates online education, according to Koller, is that it provides a “real course experience.” Even the most hoity toity schools are getting in on the online action by offering free courses to give students all over the world a glimpse of what it’s possible to learn online. And, this is very definitely a good thing.

Not only is online learning an effective tool, it provides both students and teachers a way to disseminate materials in smaller, easier-to-swallow modules that give students the opportunity to absorb more without their heads hitting the desks during extended lectures. Professors are enjoying breaking up material into short “modular chunks” that allows for better preparation and less yawning from their students. Plus, the addition of shorter quizzes and exercises ensures that students really learn what they’re watching. The key is to not encourage passive viewing, but to include activities that ensure the material is truly absorbed.

What has been proven to work in colleges and universities holds true for those of you who desperately need on-the-job training, but cannot – or will not – leave your desks to get it. More and more companies are getting hip to Learning Management Systems (LMS) that make it easier to provide the training employees need without incurring the exorbitant expenses of bringing in consultants or sending employees to off-site training sessions. If they have an Internet connection, they can train. Plus, the best types of on-the-job training provide the same activities that university courses include, giving employees the opportunity to really learn what they need to.

That being said, we know that not all training is perfect. If your head has hit the desk for a snooze during an online training course, we want to hear about it! If it sucked, we have the “in” on some good ones – honest.

For more on the “good ones,” visit Coggno.com.