Lifelong Learning In The New Normal

Today, we live in a world of the internet wherein you name a product and it’s available for sale online. Be it books to grocery to online courses and education. The key mantra is to constantly learn and apply these skill to your work life. This has led to a number of popular online learning platforms like Coursera, Khan Academy, Udemy or Lynda to name a few. In fact, there are also a few renowned colleges that make some of their coursework available online.

Andragogy, or also commonly known the methods and practices used in adult education, is now on an upswing online especially in these locked down times. Adults have different learning patterns versus children. As children, we are exposed to different mechanisms to teach like experimentation, reading, hearing, practicing and doing. However, as adults, our ability to learn shifts more to reading and understanding rather than experiencing. Hence, if the content I am searching for is available at a time that I wish to study, I would be more than happy to pay for it. All online learning modules tap into this aspect and make knowledge available to their target audience at not only a time, but also a place (i.e. their home) convenient to them.

With more corporates open to their employees working from home, it has given an opportunity to the workforce to plan, grow and upskill themselves from the comfort and privacy of their homes. This given a boost to virtual learning as many employees want to utilize this time efficiently. The key to retaining the learning is ensure that you are able to apply your newly learnt skill to your day to day life.

A skill / knowledge becomes really relevant when it is applied to our lives. We must be careful in choosing training programs based on the need of the hour and the profile of the trainer and not subject it to being a free or paid program. After all a trainer is a really another way to describe an adult teacher. Teachers share their knowledge and experience to create change in society. As a trainer myself (and also a learner), my humble request is that all of us take every training program we attend with full commitment and full focus.