The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a moment of change at a personal, professional and educational level that has led us to a massive and widespread use of ICT and to change our habits. Companies are adapting to teleworking and education is moving towards online training, which, although it has existed for almost two decades, has always generated some controversy in the sector based on myths that tend to denigrate it and that lack foundation.

Personally, due to certain life circumstances that have prevented me from carrying out face-to-face training, I have been involved in the world of virtual education for many years, which has allowed me to pursue a degree in journalism, providing me with the same skills and knowledge as my face-to-face classmates.

Today, online training is much more than those massive and easily accessible courses called MOOCs that were flat and not very interactive and which we ended up abandoning in a very high percentage. Today, it is the perfect complement or even the essential substitute for face-to-face training.

Myths related to online training

1. Virtual education has no time limits, the student chooses the pace and it does not matter when they finish it

This is an absolute fallacy. Online education, like face-to-face education, is marked by defined times and deadlines; it is true that the student has greater flexibility when it comes to organizing his or her time, but the directed activities always follow a schedule.

2. It is a low quality education

Statement that is normally based on educational experiences in which the technological factor is implemented in face-to-face teaching without making changes to its methodology.

Quality is not associated with the training modality we choose. There are various factors that allow us to rate the quality of a training, such as the tutor’s mastery, the materials, the tools used, the interaction of the students and the relevance of the topics.

3. It does not require the same effort to pass a face-to-face course and it is more boring

I can tell you from experience that this is not the case. The role of the student in online training becomes an active role in learning. Participation becomes essential and interaction with the teacher, as well as with classmates, must be greater with more complete and better quality explanations. Through the new tools provided by ICT, video conferences are held, forums are enabled and numerous tasks are programmed for students, most of which tend to be group tasks, encouraging collaborative work.

4. It makes social relationships difficult, it is impersonal

We are talking about the existence of a closer relationship with the teacher, and above all, a direct and even personalized one, which leads to a better understanding of the materials and, in many cases, personalized attention. The online medium allows a connection that is not limited only to class hours, that is, thanks to forums, instant messaging or video conferences and tutorials, contact can be immediate and/or direct, but, above all, flexible.

“In online training, the student can ask his question in a written forum, expand on it, think about it, document it with links or videos if he wants, and the teacher has many more options and possibilities when it comes to answering than when he is standing in a classroom.”

Enrique Dans, Professor of Innovation at IE Business School since 1990.

5. Online education is not the future of education

How much has the interpretation of this myth changed in recent times when we have had to adapt to a systematic virtual education… Today’s knowledge society requires people who learn to live and therefore learn to learn. The ability/competence to use, apply and create knowledge is more important than the possession of knowledge as such. This requires changing the forms of instruction from simply delivering knowledge in an expository way to active learning such as problem/outcome-based learning.

It is not possible to say that these skills are only developed in a virtual learning environment, nor would it be true to think the opposite. But in terms of efficiency, virtual education actually uses more resources than the simple “chalk and board” technologies traditionally found in a face-to-face classroom. The use of more resources should generate better results.

There is no need to be afraid or prejudiced about online education. Education generates knowledge and knowledge generates experience, whatever its origin. In our sector, Spanish and foreign universities and schools are adapting at a forced pace to these new times and offer courses and degrees to be taken entirely online. This allows you to reside in one country and study at a university in another foreign country, which translates into a great advantage at the educational level, since you will have a wide range of possibilities in the international educational field at your fingertips with just a click.

Language courses, pioneers in online teaching

Perhaps the pioneering formula in this virtual education has been language courses. Nowadays, these have become an exceptional way to prepare for your level exams without having to leave your home. I would like to emphasize the advantage that this has, since not in all cities or regions you have the possibility, for example, to prepare and/or pass the exam you need. This is the case of the IELTS, a type of test required to access universities in the United Kingdom, which you can take thanks to the online training offered by various language schools and academies, which will allow you to prepare for it without any problem from the comfort of your own home.

In short, there is always room for learning and there are ways to ensure that, despite the obstacles or difficulties that life imposes on us, we can receive training that is appropriate to our needs. So, don’t think twice and choose the option that suits you, but never give up on your determination to study.