Online learning presents opportunities and challenges

While I’ve been out of college for less than a decade, I never personally participated in an online course during my time as a student. However, over the past several years I’ve seen the experiences of my younger sister and husband as they have taken part in online courses for their fields of study.

Certainly, online learning opportunities have grown significantly in the last five years, especially for workers as employers look for more cost-effective ways to foster professional development in their companies. Online courses often provide cost savings over traveling to a traditional conference or workshop. Plus, the courses are self-paced and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection.

Still, online learning has its challenges. Participants miss out on personal interaction with instructors and fellow classmates and don’t receive instant feedback. Technology can also cause frustration if the participant encounters any system errors or bugs.

The WATT eLearning online portal offers interactive companion animal nutrition courses and on-demand conference sessions for the petfood industry. Have you ever participated in an online course or training session, like the ones offered on WATT eLearning? What was your experience?