10 Ways Online Learning Can Help On the Job

The challenge, however, was coordinating a virtual team that did not have experience working with colleagues from around the world. As such, Couch frequently took a leadership initiative and sent specific e-mails to elicit efficient and timely responses to team assignment duties. Most importantly, she learned to plan ahead. If a project was due Monday morning, she would complete it prior to the start of her work day and have it done by Sunday night to factor in the 14-hour time difference of her fellow students. She often took such a lead with succinct communication, a characteristic she says has already translated into accolades at work.4. It promotes active participation.

Similar to the way those heading up corporate environments and meetings typically expect employees to actively engage in their work, online education officials require students to be actively involved, perhaps even more so than in a traditional classroom. "In order to be 'seen' in an online environment, you have to actively participate," Couch explains. In other words, you can't sit quietly in the back row of a classroom (or the boardroom), especially when everyone is expected to post weekly responses on class bulletin boards based on the reading assignments.

5. It builds your time management skills.

According to Frank Mayadas, president of Sloan-C, a consortium of online schools, the online delivery model of eLearning mirrors today's corporate environment, specifically in its efforts to help individuals strike a balance between work and life. In addition, juggling various assignments and deadlines is not dissimilar to meeting the demands of a full-time job while maintaining outside family and financial obligations.

"You save time by logging in when it's convenient for you - late at night, early in the morning, weekends, whenever and wherever - 24/7," he says.

6. It fosters flexibility.

As more and more employees telecommute, studying online in a remote location increases one's self-efficiency as a solo learner/worker. "One of the most important factors in online communication - for a job or for education - is flexibility," says Virginia Lofft, who recently earned her master's degree in professional studies from Thomas Edison State College (Trenton, NJ). There's the flexibility of being able to shift your daily priorities around what's most convenient for you, she points out, but there's also a more important element to the shift.

"When is your mind in gear? When are you mentally most productive? In other words, how does your diurnal clock work?" Lofft asks. The ideal situation, she says, is the flexibility demonstrated in eLearning, similar to her telecommuting work at home. "If you're in an 'e' situation, you work when you're at your peak, at your optimum level of performance."

7. It highlights a virtual team environment.

Lofft also notices one of the significant benefits of eLearning is the ability to work with people remotely and build strong bonds. "You find yourselves e-mailing each other outside of class to discuss issues, swap ideas, or gain more data," she shares. When Lofft earned her bachelor's degree, she attended brick-and-mortar classes at night after a long work day, and recalls that she basically wanted to "get there, sit in class, and go home." "No one chit-chatted," she says. "I don't remember a soul from any of those classes. Because of the special atmosphere of eLearning, however, I've made real friendships with kindred souls."

8. It sharpens your tech savviness.

ELearning incorporates the latest technology tools that also spill into the workplace, such as Instant Messaging from remote locations, or posting ideas and feedback in a virtual conference workgroup room.

"A corporation will choose a meeting room platform like Breeze, WebEx, or LiveMeeting. A university will choose an asynchronous bulletin board system like Blackboard or WebCT," says Dan Smith, president of Management Simulations, Inc., an eLearning business simulation company used at more than 500 campuses and corporations such as GM, Allstate, Johnson Controls, and John Deere. All have similar functions. According to Smith, constant use of technology - whether it's in the classroom or the workplace - is becoming the norm. "To use a comparison, five years ago we talked a lot about 'eBusiness' in our curriculum. Even then, academics said to each other, 'By 2004 or so, we will have dropped the distinction as just another way to do business.' And, of course, that happened," Smith explains. "Something similar will happen with online education. It will become a 'positioning' alternative in a university's strategy."

9. It allows you to stay abreast of industry advancements.

The information you learn in an online classroom is current and connected with industry trends, all of which can be applied at the office.

"Anyone can enhance their IT skills with online discussions by paying attention to what other students do in their perspective industries," explains Debra Wall-Czech, who is earning her master's in project management from Keller School of Management of DeVry University (Oakbrook Terrace, IL). The software executive points out that she learns much from others in different positions.

"I happen to be in software development for the health care industry. Someone else may be in hardware. You ask and learn about other forms of industry from your peers," she says. In addition, says Junkans, since Kaplan's course developers are industry professionals, curriculum is constantly updated. As the industry changes, so do online lessons.

10. It accelerates your advancement.

Simply stated, pursuing an online degree or certificate more often than not equates to long-term career success, as it did for David Moore. A staff sergeant in the Army Reserve, Moore pursued a master's degree online at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) when he was deployed to Bosnia. The civil affairs officer didn't want to put his education on hold while on assignment, so he enrolled at American Military University, an institution of the American Public University System. He completed a course to earn his certificate from the United Nations, something he says set him apart when interviewing for his current position at a private security firm.

"The United Nations certification I received at American Public University System and my graduate work in international politics at Temple University impressed my new employers," he recalls.