NFIB

Learning Online
01/ 09/ 2003

by Vicki Gerson

From universities offering MBA programs to technical training, it's possible to take care of many educational needs through online courses. Whether you want to further your own education or that of your employees, online courses offer ease and convenience.

Here are some things to do if you are looking into furthering education online.

Consult with your staff.

If you are considering purchasing online courses for your staff, find out the areas in which they would like additional training. Answers may vary quite a bit, so you might end up purchasing a variety of courses.

It is a waste of your money to purchase an online learning program that no one has time to use. Allow employees time to learn and use the program during their work week. Make sure the courses you purchase will ultimately increase your bottom line. While it might be nice to help your employees learn about Greek mythology, chances are this is something better done on their own time.

Consider creating your own online courses.

Many businesses are creating their own online courses, especially in health-related fields. If you think your employees could benefit from a program tailored specifically to your business, first figure out your strategy and goals for creating this program.

If you go forward, consider including a self-testing component. This will test your employees about everything from company policy to product information and could offer tutorials in the areas in which they score poorly.

Consult with your IT professionals.

Before you spend money to create or purchase online courses, it is important to make sure that your Internet connections can handle them. You most likely need a DSL connection for fast downloads. If an employee's computer is slow, it might not load the entire program. Fast connections are a must.

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