The mainstream adoption of the internet during the 1990s sparked the beginning of a new era for both computing and communications, and it was dubbed the information age. This gave people the power to search just about any topic they can think of online and get the answers they need for homework or research. Email and chatting were mere samplings for what will be a revolution in how people talk or connect with each other. The things that were just imagined then are realized now, with video calling as the prime example.
Information can also be synonymous with learning or education. There are various resources you can use to grow your knowledge. You can watch videos that serve as tutorials or lessons for skills that could potentially help you with your professional career. Alternatively, if reading is your preference there are websites that feature articles or forums about specialized topics. In addition to those, there are other important things that make the internet break down the borders for learning.
Making Strides
People used to connect to the internet using dial-up modems. This converts the phone signal to digital form and usually ran at 33 or 56 kilobits per second. You have to establish a connection by “dialing” into the servers in every session that you make. The speeds were enough to load up texts and pictures on websites but extremely slow if you wish to access media like music and video.
Internet speeds have increased exponentially in the past three decades. The global average is now at 85 megabits per second. If you have that fast of a connection, you should be able to transfer large files and stream high-definition videos without a hitch. This also translates to better communications services. People will not have any problems starting up video conferences or voice calls since the bandwidth gives you a lot of room to perform those tasks. This also makes it ideal as a platform for education. Whether the course is formal or not, lessons can be delivered to students in no time. This saves precious time which you can instead use for learning.
Online Education
If you have no problem having the initiative to learn, you might want to consider enrolling in online courses. These range from the quick ones that teach a specific skill like 3D animation to full courses that make you earn a diploma upon completion. They pack their lessons in modules, and how you want to take on them will be completely up to you. There will be no teacher or professor that will assist you along the way. You have to read everything up and then take the exams when you are ready. People can earn their degree while keeping their day jobs because these systems allow them to learn at their own pace. There are students who are able to complete their courses in a year, which is faster than many others out there. If you want, you can take another one, and this would be great for decorating your resume with academic achievements.
There are also specialized programs online that help make learning enjoyable for all types of students. Each one is unique and has their own way of understanding things. If you are looking for a company that knows how to teach children or people with exceptionalities, you can turn to online programs such as Gemiini for that. They have developed a system that incorporates playing and entertainment to keep the students’ interest levels high, which is key to absorbing the lessons that are being taught to them
DIY Learning
For those who develop special interests from their hobbies or side activities, there are interesting things you can learn from tutorials available online. These are informal ways to learn new skills. You may not earn any certificates or recognition from them, but they can come in handy for what you do for work or at home. These learning opportunities may come in the form of tutorials that you can readily view online.
There are also paid services that you can sign up for which gives you access to tons of courses related to your field of interest. For example, if you are a video game enthusiast, you might like to learn about programming and 3D modeling. Along the way, you might also want to know how to do animation or design interfaces. Those could be accessed right under your fingertips and are also curated by experts so you will get recommendations that fit your liking.
Knowledge Sharing
Sharing your knowledge is a nice way to give back to a community, or it can just be an outlet for you to exercise your inner teacher. The internet gives you avenues to do this. For example, there are agencies that hire people to teach basic English to foreigners. They do not require teaching credentials since the service that they offer is only supplemental to their clients’ educational needs. You can be to assist a non-native English speaker to practice what they know by holding a casual conversation or helping them review their actual school lessons.
There are freelancing platforms out there that you can check out if you want to provide some sort of tutorial or educational service. If you are the generous type, you can post informational videos related to your passion and share that on social media or video streaming sites.
The internet is viewed by the world as a place without borders. You can learn a lot of stuff here, and your teacher could be from anywhere in the globe. It is good to know that there are many other avenues for expanding your knowledge.
