5 Ways Online Learning is Preparing Business School Grads for Remote Working

Sponsored by EGADE Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey

Over the last couple of months the academic world has been getting used to working and studying online – from classroom debates to webinars, online meetings to application interviews.

It’s not just academia that’s been forced to quickly adapt either. Businesses and organizations worldwide have also had to reimagine their practices, strategies and operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given the world something to think about for when life does eventually return to normal. We’re realizing that things which were once thought impossible without face-to-face contact actually are possible.

With the growing likelihood that more businesses and companies will swap the corporate office for the home office in the future, we take a closer look at how online learning is helping prepare students for a post-coronavirus world of work.

Interactive webinars boost communication skills and participation levels

Online learning is no longer the novelty it once was. Today, technology is the key to helping institutions redesign and adapt their curriculums as they transition from the classroom to online. 

Synchronous learning through webinars and video-conferencing calls encourages active participation among students. This real-time learning can help boost students’ communication skills as well as their confidence when it comes to participating in active discussions.

Their presentation skills also benefit. While small classroom discussions and face-to-face group projects are temporarily paused, these same activities done through online learning offer up the chance for students to present their own work to the class, instead.

If you can clearly communicate the information with brief and digestible ideas then you’re already halfway there when it comes to any future job where giving presentations and reports is a central part of the role. 

Online learning means time management and good organizational skills are key

Not every class is going to be taught in real-time, so it’s up to you to take responsibility for knowing how to manage your time and stay organized.

There also isn’t much difference juggling various academic commitments such as assignments, group projects and exams when it comes to online learning compared to on-campus learning. But again – being able to organize your time and yourself well will help in the long run.

… and so is your digital skillset

Image credit: EGADE Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey

Being digitally literate is a lucrative skill – regardless of sector and industry.

Online learning means having all the resources available at your fingertips and learning to navigate your way around these collaborative tools and resources can be really helpful when it comes to working in a technology-driven environment.

Students at EGADE Business School have the opportunity to continue with their learning development with a variety of resources and facilities through the school’s dedicated ‘Alternative Learning’ platform, as well as other online events such as the webinar series, ‘Rising to the Challenge: Leadership in the face of COVID-19’ and conferences taking place in virtual platforms like Virbela. 

You’ll know when and how to set achievable goals

Distance can throw up some unique challenges, such as setting aside dedicated time to watch and take notes of a webinar or taking part in an online discussion forum.

Setting yourself a long-term plan that’s achievable can be a really helpful strategy that you can take with you into a job where targets and goals are necessary. Learning to do a daily to-do list as well is also a good habit to get into when faced with multiple tasks in your job. 

You’ll learn how to get a good balance between your home-life and work-life

It’s important you learn where to draw the line between work and home. Just because your commute is from your bedroom to the sofa or kitchen table, doesn’t mean your studies need to spill over in to your home life.

On the other hand, we also know the distractions of television, housemates, and social media are difficult to ignore.

Again, this is something you’ll learn as you go along, and you know what works for you (and what doesn’t) when it comes to swapping your daily walk to campus to your daily walk from one room to another in your house.

This is an important thing to learn – especially when it comes to the world of work. While many workers around the world might be expected to work from home and carry out their daily work tasks just the same as if they were in an office environment, certain levels of trust and transparency between managers, teams and departments is necessary in attempts to leverage similar levels of success and productivity that were expected in the office.

If you can nail the home-life, work-life balance then you’ll be well prepared for the world of remote work.