Digital self-learning allows to learn demand-oriented and to determine one’s own pace. Being able to work on learning programs from anywhere and at any time makes it easy to integrate learning into everyday life. At the same time, digital learning also challenges us in several ways:
- Organization: Integrating self-directed learning into your everyday work
- Prioritization: Taking time for learning-units without rescheduling them again and again
- Motivation: Staying motivated on your learning journey
In addition to fundamental framework conditions that HR can set for the development of their employees, there are also measures for the learners themselves. Below are a few tips for self-learning and tricks for employees to maximize their learning success and effectiveness.
Five tips for self-learning
1. Formulating a clear goal
Employees can ask themselves the following questions about their own learning focus: Why do you want to develop in this field? What exactly do I expect from this
2. Defining learning periods and breaks
We carefully organize and plan many aspects of our work in our calendar. Tasks that are not listed here are often less highly prioritized.
That is why it is best for learners to schedule learning times in their calendar. If they cannot keep them, moving the time slot instead of deleting it helps to stay committed. In addition to focus times, it is also important for learning success to plan sufficient breaks and to consciously use your own resources. One helpful technique is the Pomodoro method – you can read about different time management methods here.
3. Recognizing sources of energy
Questions that learners can ask themselves:
- At what time of day am I most receptive?
- What kind of environment do I need to concentrate well?
In general it is easier to learn when the conditions are right. Creating a pleasant atmosphere helps with the learning process. This also means minimizing distractions in the working environment – for example, tidying your desk or looking at the wall instead of the window can increase your ability to concentrate.
4. Increasing commitment
We often neglect our personal projects because it is easier to negotiate delays with ourselves than with others. Learners can make use of this effect: Having a learning partner and arranging to meet regularly to discuss the learning content creates a greater sense of commitment to the learning progress. The exchange can also help to reinforce what has been learned and make learning more enjoyable.
5. Rewards
A simple way of encouraging motivation is through rewards. Learners can promise themselves a reward at the beginning of the learning process. This can be highly individual. The important thing is that it has a positive effect.
Successful self-learning has a lot to do with the conditions learners create for themselves and how consciously and professionally they shape the learning
If you would like to learn more about the framework conditions for digital learning from an operational perspective, you might be interested in our whitepaper “Hacking digital learning”. Here we address the question of how digital learning projects can be successfully implemented in organizations and provide practical tips.
You can find our free whitepaper here.
You want to get started with digital self-learning and give our learning programs a try? Feel free to create a free trial account or contact us by email if you have any further questions.
