This circuit-breaker may be a paradigm shift for many of us. Apart from working-from-home (WFH), or maybe not even having any work to do because your main work role involves physical services, now you are wondering what can you do to use this time meaningfully?

This might be a good time to consider upskilling or reskilling yourself. The recent SkillsFuture booster given by the government cannot be timelier. You can now make use of the time at hand to seek out the courses that you are interested in. You can now attend your desired courses virtually at the comfort of your home!

The question that you might probably be asking – will virtual learning really be beneficial?

1. Virtual learning allows learners the freedom to absorb content and engage with peers at a time and location that they learn best. Research has shown that for many adult learners, virtual learning is more effective when they are able to comprehend topics on their own terms, on various devices, outside of a classroom and anywhere there is internet.
2. Survey has also shown that for many learners, virtual learning has delivered greater experience in terms of knowledge retention. This is so because the instruction time is usually shorter, and trainers are more interactive, making learning more manageable and memorable. This is especially effective for adult learners.
3. The opportunities to engage and participate will not be compromised. In fact, for learners who are usually shy and not as comfortable interacting in-person, they can now engage the trainer using the chat function. Or, they may share their comments using other available features within the e-learning platforms to connect with the trainers.
4. With digitalization becoming more and more a thrust in our daily lives, virtual learning is also a good way for us to hone some digital skills while we gain knowledge in other areas. For some learners, this could be the first step to being acquainted to an interactive online tool.

For virtual learning to be effective, the same discipline must be exercised as if you are in a physical classroom. It also requires you to have a mindset shift so that you can appreciate the full extent of virtual learning.