Online learning is often more accessible for time-pressed Canadians because people can take needed training at convenient times that suit their busy schedules. Online learning is more effective in allowing busy people to access just the amount of training content they need and want. As well, time spent travelling to training events is eliminated with online learning. Travel time can be considerable, especially for those living in rural or remote regions.
This “time pressure” was also identified in the Getting Online research. Based on this, some research respondents identified that a trend was the need to offer online training in shorter blocks of time, based on immediate, short-term needs (sometimes called “just in time training”). Some respondents believed that because of the time pressures facing Canadian workers and families, people will want shorter, more practical training and they noted that online learning is ideally suited to meet such needs.
Some GO research respondents described how this short-term, practical, focused, and specific training was in high demand amongst their client groups and that their organization was striving to make their current training opportunities more flexible and short-term. As one respondent explained, “Effective learning is now like Dell's ‘build your own computer' concept. People want bits and pieces of learning curriculum that they need NOW.”
