To acquire the skills for a new job, whether you are changing careers or you want to learn a new set of skills... there are different possibilities but it's not always easy to find your way around it all, so let's start from the beginning:
1 - Pick a job that interests you (preferably a job that hires!)
2 - Decide on a location:
- on a campus close to home
- on a campus abroad for the most adventurous of you
- or, remotely from home for those looking for more flexibility
3 - Choose a format :
- full-time for those who can afford a break in their career.
- part-time (evening classes) for those who continue to work while in training or who have limited time
Today, we're going to talk about remote training programmes!
You have found the job that interests you, you have chosen this format because it suits best your daily life and your needs. But now it's hard to take a decision and find your way around in these technical terms: online training, remote learning, MOOC, etc.: we help you to understand the world of remote learning so that you can decide with confidence.
First of all, you should know that there are 4 main categories of remote learning programmes:
- MOOCs
- Online training programmes with an instructor
- Live remote learning programmes
- Physical live remote learning programmes
Now let's examine their pros and cons:
1/ MOOCs (massive open online courses)
Most of these courses are in the form of online videos that participants can watch whenever they want.
It should be noted that most of these videos are pre-recorded. This means that you have access to them at any time, but the instructor is often not logged in at the time you watch them, so there will be no live interaction. In other words, the teacher will not be able to offer personalised support and students will have to keep themselves motivated and dedicated. Key players in this category include: Coursera, edX and Udacity.
Pros: freedom to organise one's time, accessible from anywhere.
Cons: higher risk of disengagement, no personalised support.
2/ Online training programmes with an instructor
To better support students in their online education, some training organisations such as Openclassrooms offer a mentoring system that complements their MOOCs in order to take into account the learner's progress. With this system, students evolve in their training on an individual basis and meet with a mentor at specific times during the week (generally once a week).
Pros: support from a coach at specific times.
Cons: no structure in the planning of study days, no teamwork.
3/ Live remote learning programmes
With live remote learning sessions, students log into an online classroom and engage in a range of activities under the guidance of an instructor available in real time to answer their questions. The supervision conditions are very similar to face-to-face training: synchronous connection (teachers and students log in at the same time), live animated lessons, the joint availability of students is required. Students carry out their training in small groups and work in teams to prepare for their successful professional integration.
Pros: structured study days, group work while keeping the advantage of working from home (time saving, comfort, etc.).
Cons: no physical contact with the local tech community, no possibility to meet in person.
4/ Physical live remote learning programmes
In this last category we find the Wild Code School's remote learning programmes. These courses benefit from the characteristics of live remote programmes: full-time instructor, small group of students, teamwork, structured study days and the flexibility offered by remote learning. Unlike "classic" remote learning programmes, here students can, if they wish, join one of our campuses near their home to attend the various events offered on our campuses. They will be able to interact with a community of Wilders and be in contact with their local tech community.
Pros: structured study days, teamwork, advantages of working from home (time saving, comfort, etc.), interacting with the local tech community and the possibility to meet physically on campus.
Cons: to attend campus events, the student will have to live close to one of our campuses (otherwise they can still attend our online events).
As you can see, each category has its advantages, now it's up to you to find the one that suits you best! Click here to find out more about the Wild Code School's remote learning programmes.
One last advice: Don't hesitate contacting the different organisations to talk with their teams and confirm your decision. The human factor remains very important in the world of training, nothing better than a first contact to make sure you have knocked on the right door.
