What I remember from secondary education was the overall feeling of wasting time - listening to an uninspiring teacher who is ploughing through his course materials. Default-Pace learning was invented to get the best average result for a class. What is slow for one is fast for another. This has little or nothing to do with intellect - but is mostly the result of the lack of motivation for the individual. We are all wired differently. Preferences for visual, audible, kinetic (touch/test) are in your genes. There are different ways to learn and we learn differently when we get older. Learning fast when you are a blank canvas is no longer an option when you are mature. Years of experience makes you question and doubt new materials before you can add it to your arsenal of knowledge.
Enter the world of Self Pace learning. On our platform, we have over 1300 self-pace modules. In 2 hours you learn (or refresh) how to create a strategy and build a convincing document. Do you have 5 hours? Learn the fundamentals for Kubernetes using Docker. You pick the topic and select the speed of the recording.
This screenshot from a Microsoft Azure course shows some of the features mentioned.
What are the other benefits?
Convenience - no schedule, always available and the materials can be used for a long time. 12 months is no exception.
Cost savings - in general, self-pace courses are at a lower price level. And companies can buy through volume agreements to make larger savings
ROI - we tend to learn better when we learn at our own pace - resulting in a higher return on training investment
What can be a disadvantage?
Communication with other learners is missing - Quickstart has created community options on the platform - between learners and experts. But a lot of the students are digital natives and are bringing their own communication channels
Not every hands-on exercise can be simulated in the lab. VR is moving fast but not yet mainstream. Vendors made a few courses mandatory with Instructors to get certified
It requires (some) discipline. Quickstart has created an AI engine to engage learners to stay motivated. But for some, only a classroom will work. And for those learners, we have (>250) Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) courses