Why are the online courses becoming so popular among Gen Z?

By- Guryash Cheema
Online courses have made life easy and offer a very big advantage. They basically constitute live lectures or video recordings along with assessments after each module to test the learner’s knowledge. These courses offer a lot of advantages such as flexibility, convenience and accessibility as these can access from anywhere, at any time as long as the learner has a stable internet connection. These courses can be free or paid, and can range from basic beginner level to the advanced level in specific fields.

There are many platforms that offer online courses. A few of them are:

1.Coursera

2.Google digital unlocked

3.Udemy

4.edX

5.HubSpot Academy

6.LinkedIn Learning

Online courses are offered through different modes such as:

1.Video courses- Video courses basically refer to live recorded videos on particular topics to help give an insight and enhance deep learning. As these are recorded sessions, there is a lot of flexibility for the learners as they can start it according to their convenience, pause to take notes or rewind in case there is some confusion.

2.Interactive online courses- These offer an access to communicate with the instructor and helps to increase your engagement. With the access to interact with your instructor, you can easily clear your doubts and get a wider opinion on a topic than merely putting assumptions or piling up doubts on your head.

3.Webinars- These refer to the live sessions where the instructor interacts and delivers a lecture online. Since these are live sessions, one needs to be attentive and have a stable internet connection throughout the session. It can be recorded by you for your future reference.

4.One-on-one training – Some online courses are conducted in the one-on-one mode where students are assigned one instructor each who solely deals with that student. It is more effective as this creates a flexible flow of communication and easy doubt clearing sessions without facing any difficulty by the learner. This thereby helps the learner to grasp knowledge more quickly and easily without the fear of speaking up in group of strangers.

5.Self-directed learning- Students read articles, explore videos, and take tests in their own available time. An educator is made available for the learners to answer queries. The students bear the major responsibility for their own learning.

Everything have advantages and disadvantages and the same is in the case of online courses.

Advantages-

1.Accessible- With an online course, you don't have to attend any session or class physically. The courses can be easily accessed from the comfort of your home. You can access instructors and resources from any location worldwide.

2.Flexible- Mostly online courses enable you to study at your own pace, which is perfect for all sorts of people. There is no time management issues, no burden and no pressure.

3.Affordable- Online courses are significantly less expensive than in-person schooling. Since it is online, there are no expenses related to travelling. Plus, there are many platforms that even offer a wide range of free courses. Even financial aids can also be opted.

4.Wide variety to choose from- Since online courses are over the internet, it is easy to find the right sort of skill related course or study related course which suits your requirements and preferences. There are so many platforms to browse from and find all your preferred courses.



Disadvantages-



1.Online classes require seriousness, dedication and consistency.

2.Online courses require good time management skills.

3.Online courses may create a sense of isolation.

4.Online courses require you to be responsible for your own learning



Online course certificates, when added to your CV, gives a huge advantage. Some benefits of adding online courses certificates to your CV are-

1.It enhances your CV.

2.It displays relevant standout skills.

3.It demonstrates personal drive and discipline, intellectual maturity, curiosity, and a strong willingness to learn—all of which are important to employers.



Overall, online courses add value to your personality and knowledge. It also helps to tell your interviewer that how much experience or skills you have, especially in comparison to others, and how much willingness do you possess to learn by going out of your way.