By Marty Chester, M.S.Ed. If you’re considering self-paced online courses you know they fit more easily into a busy work and family schedule and save you money. Self-paced online courses also allow you to study at the best pace for you learning style and experience. The recent pandemic also accelerated self-paced online learning and you can benefit. Learn more about what self-paced online courses are, their top benefits, and which self-paced online courses are readily available.
What is a self-paced course?
Self-paced learning means you can learn on your own time and at your own pace. Self-paced online courses are also called ‘asynchronous’ which means you don’t need to be present with other students and your instructor at any set time, which makes learning more flexible. With self-paced online classes, you learn at your most comfortable speed. You may have an interest or background in a subject like Psychology, that allows you to move more quickly than you might through, for example, a science course.
Top benefits of a self-paced courses
Benefits of self-paced courses include:
- Setting your own schedule – reduce stress by working class into your life; everything is accessible when you’re ready and able to get online.
- Immediately available course materials – no waiting for books to arrive or instructor updates, it’s all ready to go when you are.
- Go as fast as you need – your interest level or experience means you can move faster through material you know and take your time with more complex subjects.
- Shorten time to degree – self-paced courses can lessen the amount of time it takes to earn your degree, saving both time and money.
What are self-paced courses I can take online?
Many academic subjects are geared toward self-paced online learning, for example:
- Business, study topics like Accounting, Management and Marketing
- English, including courses like Composition and Literature
- Health Sciences, with topics ranging from Medical Terminology to Microbiology
- Humanities, learning Music and Art Appreciation, Philosophy and Speech
- Language, covering subjects such as Spanish, French and even Chinese
- Social Science, including subjects like Economics, History and Psychology
- Technology, learn programming and coding in courses under this umbrella
Self-paced online courses can be a clear game-changer for busy students. Courses like those described here are convenient, so you can study on your schedule, and allow you to move quickly through material you already know, saving both time and money as you work toward your degree. Would you like to see what a self-paced online course feels like firsthand? Sign up for a StraighterLine free trial and take two free lessons of an online course today.
