It is undeniable that Hispanotech professionals, specially in the IT sector, need to be up-to-date with their knowledge, in order to remain competitive in the Canadian market. Pursuing a degree or certificate in a college or university is a good option, especially with the benefits of networking in person with classmates and instructors. However, online learning has become very popular in the last few years.

One of the most commonly accepted ways to learn online are the MOOC’s, that stand for Massive Open Online Courses. These courses introduce an educational environment online, where students can, not only learn different subjects, but also take tests, participate in forums and earn certificates. These are 5 key benefits of MOOC’s for Hispanotech professionals:

First, the convenience of taking the lesson from anywhere, being your home, during commuting, a park or even during vacation. It is possible to learn from a desktop, laptop, tablet, cellphone, and even from a borrowed or public device. There is a great convenience, also, in having the lessons available 24/7, so students go at their own pace and continue their lesson just where they left on the previous session.

Second, the enriching experience of sharing lessons with students from all across the world. At MOOC’s, students are able to participate in forums, discussion threads, social networking, group assignments, and peer evaluations that foster collaboration and communication among participants. This is, provided, the student makes the effort to participate on these activities.

Third, the knowledge is more recent, as it is easier to update the contents of a MOOC than to update a presencial course. Additionally, these online courses use up-to-date technology to educate participants like multimedia, team dynamics, forums, live sessions, apps and software. As a matter of fact, they use technology to analyse your activity and suggest other courses, or rank you against your classmates for motivation purposes

Fourth, accessibility, MOOC’s allow students from remote places to access the courses, as long as they have an Internet connection. This is a great advantage, as people that did not have the opportunity to assist to a college, are able to learn state-of-the-art technologies and subjects on demand. Courses are available in different languages, which amplifies their reach.

Fifth, price is also a big benefit, as MOOC’s are more inexpensive than off-line education, even some of them, are free of charge, with some limitations on their usage. Nevertheless, MOOC’s may provide you with a valuable certification from a well-known institution. There are some savings in commuting, and other costs associated to attending a location in person.

All in all, MOOC’s make quality knowledge available to the masses, and allow professionals to remain competitive in the market by enhancing skills in the field, or exploring new skills to shape their career. However, it is crucial that the student make the effort to follow the lessons consistently, do their homework and leverage the social functionalities in order to get the most from the experience.