Perhaps the single greatest challenge to successfully completing an online course is yourself. In other words, you can be your own greatest enemy. And not by any deliberate action – you aren’t wilfully attempting to self-sabotage your efforts (well, unless you are, but that’s an entirely different conversation). Most of us are accustomed to classroom teaching, and changing that mind-set requires deliberate and continued action.

For instance, during this lengthy quarantine, how many of you have been able to regularly attend an online exercise class? Some studios are even allowing attendees to download recordings of classes to view at another time and yet, based on what people have said in conversation, they are still finding excuses not to exercise. Having said that, it’s winter right now in South Africa, so it’s not as though their excuses aren’t without validity.

But, especially in times such as these, when online learning presents an opportunity to continue personal development while remaining rigorously compliant with current social distancing rules and regulations, it’s time to park the self-indulgence, and find ways to ensure that once you’ve committed to completing an online course, you do so with total confidence.

To assist you with regulating and tracking your progress, we’ve put together the following checklist to help guide you through each point in your online learning journey. Simply ask yourself the following questions. If you are able to answer ‘Yes’ to every single one, you are well on your way to passing your online course. If you answer ‘No’, then keep referring back to the list until you are able to tick each one of them off in the affirmative.

Phase 1: Questions to ask before you start your course

• Do you meet the basic requirements to register for the course?
• Have you completed the booking form and payment?
• Do you know how long you have to complete the course?
• Have you set a realistic schedule to complete the course?
• Have you received all necessary documents/learning packs?
• Have you familiarised yourself with the course materials?
• Have you discussed your study commitments with your family members?
• Do you know whom to contact with queries about the course?
• Has your employer made provision for you to complete the course?
• Do you know how to use the E-Learning platform?

Phase 2: Questions to ask during the course

• Are you making sure to understand the content of each module of the course?
• Are you pinpointing areas on which you need to focus?
• Are you keeping your employer updated on your progress?
• Are you maintaining a balance between the online course and your work obligations?
• Are you evaluating how you can practically apply this safety knowledge to your company?

Phase 3: Questions to ask before your exam

• Have you completed the required course assessment?
• Have you confirmed your exam date and time?
• Do you know the procedure for writing the exam?
• Have you requested any study time or made provision for time you may need to prepare for the exam?
• Have you refreshed your knowledge of the course material?
• Have you gone over practice questions and exam examples?

Phase 4: Questions to ask after the exam

• Have you received your results?
• Have you received your certificate?
• Have you prepared a presentation or report for your supervisor on how you plan to integrate your learnings into the company HSE policy?

If you’re still contemplating which E-Learning course is the one best suited to your current skills development plan, have a look at both our E-Learning and Webinar course options, for the full scope of online learning NOSA can offer.