6 Ways the Internet Supercharges Your Learning Ability

Online education is on an upward trend. That makes sense when you think about it. Today's world is so interconnected with digital technology like the internet. It creates a lot of opportunities. Here are 6 ways that the internet supercharges your learning ability:

 

Speed of Information

 

Long gone are the days when you had to go to a library and open a physical book to learn something. Or worse, you used to have to travel to interview someone in person because they might have been the only one with that knowledge. This slowed down the knowledge gaining process. Today, reality is different. The internet lets you access virtually all the information in the history of the world in seconds. This is drastically speeding up the learning cycle and having major implications on humans develop their minds.

 

Collaboration

 

The ability to collaborate is moving everyone's goal posts. You used to expect to have many days of delays between communications with teammates and others that you're working on projects with. Today, resources like Slack and other instant chat apps let you keep in touch with the whole group. Collaborating on key initiatives, adjusting to feedback, and sharing links and deliverables just got a whole lot easier and faster.

 

Fact Checking

 

If you ever feel like you've read or seen something that doesn't add up, you can fact check it online. This lets people acquire facts more quickly without having to worry if they are correct. They know they can always pull out their phone or computer and get a cross reference. It's changing the way media and businesses work. Instead of taking a word as gospel, you now enjoy the speed of verifying it so you can ensure your goals are met with the right data.

 

Knowledge Management

 

Companies are realizing that knowledge management is huge for running successful businesses. This translates to other skills as well. When you acquire new knowledge, it should be for a reason. You don't want to fall into the trap of simply learning things to learn them. Use an approach that prioritizes timely knowledge.

 

For example, if you know you are going to use something within two or three months of learning it, then it is a good time investment. Anything farther out than that could be a waste of your limited resources. With so many things changing and life's priorities getting in the way, you might find that obscure knowledge becomes less useful unless it is applied right away.

 

Higher Education

 

25% of college students have taken an online course. Colleges are going to need to adapt or they will fall behind. If you are enrolled in higher education, you should consider that you have the right to demand modern practices. While online courses are a great investment, traditional universities and colleges don't often have the best practices in place.

 

Look to alternative platforms if you find your college isn't up to the challenge. With so many factors going into modern online education, you need the best guidance and resources to succeed.

 

No-Risk Ventures

 

Companies are popping up everywhere that provide online learning courses and other services. The best part of many of these is that you don't have to shell out a lot of money up front. Many times, you can try them out for free, such as the Course Hero free trial that is available for web users. This trend is making high level resources accessible to more people than ever before.

 

When it comes to the internet, it is a learning machine. It allows you to access information faster from more sources than ever before. Of course, it isn't just one way either. You can also publish your ideas and get feedback. This powerful combinations makes it attractive as a true path for the future. If you value learning, take the 6 examples above to heart and implement them into your learning routine.