The last 18 months have seen the world go into various lockdowns and other periods of societal restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic. As a consequence of this, educational provisions were widely moved to online classrooms, with both children and adults of all ages being taught via remote learning.
However, the fact that such restrictions have since eased in many parts of the globe does not mean remote learning is likely to go away. In fact, the popularity of online learning has boomed so much that it is widely expected to be a key part of the post-pandemic world. This is because there are many advantages to online learning.
So, if you are looking to obtain a mental health qualification, let us explore the benefits of choosing from the broad range of mental health courses online.
Ability to catch up or revise topics
Remote learning utilises ongoing advancements in digital technology and broadcasting, meaning that seminars, lectures, and workshops can be live streamed to students, and then recorded for later use. This allows students to easily revisit past topics if they ever miss a class, want to watch it again, or would like to use it as revision material when preparing for an exam.
This also means that students are able to pause, rewind, and fast-forward these lessons, taking the time to take notes, or skip to the point on which they require greater clarity and understanding.
In this sense, doing your mental health course remotely can help improve your ability to stay up to date with teaching, and assist your revision in the event of an assessment.
Learn at your own pace
Due to the freedoms mentioned above, doing a mental health course remotely allows you to learn at your own pace.
It goes without saying that everyone learns differently, and takes in information at different speeds, so this can be essential for making sure everyone effectively receives the same level of education. This can be particularly helpful for students who have additional learning needs or mild learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or ADHD.
Flexibility
Studying your mental health course remotely also gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere you like! In fact, you could even be in a different country to where the physical institution is located, and still benefit from the same level of teaching and support.
Remote learning can also give you the flexibility to tailor your studies around your current commitments, such as childcare or a full-time job. This gives everyone the best opportunity to learn, no matter their circumstances, while also potentially allowing many people to earn money alongside their studies.
Accessibility
Unfortunately for some people with limited mobility, certain buildings and physical spaces are not accessible. This means that people with restricted mobility can suffer, missing out on receiving the education they desire and need.
In contrast, remote learning opens up the system to people who might have otherwise missed out, allowing less-abled students to undertake a mental health course from a comfortable and accessible environment of their choice.
More options to choose from
The geographical flexibility and accessibility that remote learning can provide ultimately means that everyone can have more options to choose from when selecting a course provider.
Whereas you might have previously been limited to whatever the closest institution was to your home, now you can consider options from anywhere.
Save you time and money
Taking on your mental health course on a remote basis can also help save you time and money. This is mainly down to one important thing – there is no need to travel!
You no longer need to worry about finding the right bus or driving in rush hour traffic, plus any of the costs associated with doing that. As long as you have a functioning laptop and internet, you can just log in from the comfort of your home and access your learning materials.
Digitised materials
Another way remote learning might save you a bit of money through the duration of the mental health course is that the learning materials will likely be digitised. Some course providers will be able to upload all of the materials that you need that week, thereby saving you from having to even purchase a physical textbook.
Even if this is not the case, advances in technology and the increased popularity of online learning mean that most textbooks can be found online or in eBook format. This is often a fair bit cheaper than purchasing a hardcopy, which could ultimately save you a lot of money over the course of your studies.
Overall, there are many advantages that can come with studying on a mental health course remotely. Ultimately, the decision of whether to ‘go remote’ will be down to you, guided by such factors as your responsibilities, your physical requirements, and your learning needs.