Is distance learning right for me?

Is a course which involves distance learning the right type of course for me?

The quality of online education over recent years has improved significantly and more and more training organisations are becoming aware of the need for flexible training.

Distance learning is individually paced giving you the opportunity to study materials at your personal speed and intensity without having to wait for slower pace of the average classroom. You may also find that you benefit from the ability to go over things more than once, which you may not get in a classroom environment.

Many of our fitness instructor and personal trainer courses involve some degree of distance/online learning. Many are in fact, blended-learning courses, which involve both some distance/online learning, as well as some attendance to tutor-taught workshops. We feel this is the perfect balance, which provides you with a flexible workload that fits around your current commitments, along with the opportunity to gain input from a industry expert. Distance learning is definitely not for everyone, and if you are easily distracted or struggle to stay focussed, then it may not be the best learning route for you. Only you know how good you are at time management and what your preferred style of learning is. If you are able to manage your own time well and commit yourself to a given number of hours each week for studying, learning and assessment activities then it is likely you will reap the many benefits of learning from home.

Whether you have family responsibilities or irregular work commitments, distance learning gives you the ability to choose when and where you study. It reduces the time and money spent on travelling to and from a central location, without being restricted to a time intensive attendance schedule.

Distance learning also uniquely provides you with the ability to quickly browse of topics you have already mastered in previous training or experiences, and focus more of your time and effort on new information and/or skills.

Research has shown that the most significant factor that helps students to succeed (or not) on a distance learning course, is their ability to manage their time. The more successful students reported spending 2-3 hours regularly each week studying. However, some of the students who procrastinated found themselves so far behind that they could never recover. We would strongly recommend that you devise a weekly schedule so that you will have a general guide for allocating appropriate time to study.

If you are interested in completing one of our distance/online or blended-learning courses, please get in touch. We are here to advise you on the best route to pursuing your successful career in the fitness industry.