Texas water and wastewater professionals increasingly use e-learning options to meet their TCEQ continuing education goals, stay up to date with their profession, and expand their knowledge. This corresponds with a broader trend in the US where 98% of businesses (Source: SH!FT) used e-learning courses in 2020. While the e-learning industry is expected to value at 13 billion by 2024 (Source: Market Research), Texas water and wastewater professionals seem to continue their reliance on instructor-led courses and conferences rather than reaping the full benefits of e-learning.
It's never been easier for water and wastewater professionals to access high-quality e-learning content. TCEQ-approved online CEU courses have become more prevalent, making them a quick and reasonably priced approach to TCEQ license renewal. The good news is the benefits of online learning don't stop there!
Here are 5 great perks of online learning.
1. Time Flexibility
TCEQ online continuing education units (CEUs) make it easier to manage your (or your team's) schedule. Knowing you can be available for emergencies, perform process control, and complete work orders offers peace of mind in an ever-changing work environment. This puts you back in control of scheduling and increases your productivity, especially when short-staffed.
2. Self-Paced Learning
Daily demands rarely fall into neatly organized blocks of time. This means there's precious little left for training, save perhaps those 15-45 minute gaps in between more pressing matters. The beauty of e-learning is that it's self-paced, which means every one of those little gaps becomes a moment where a section, quiz, or even module can be completed.
3. Decreased Cost Over Time
E-learning costs are typically lower than instructor-led options. The most obvious reason is an instructor isn't required for content delivery. However, that doesn't cover other potential costs of instructor-led courses, such as:
paid time while traveling
gas
vehicular liability
personal injury liability
hotels
food
possible overtime
Where value is concerned, the benefit of e-learning is rather clear. When spread over time the savings can really add up.
4. Increased Engagement and Retention
Instructor-led courses require water and wastewater professionals to sit for lengthy amounts of time (and then, often for days in a row) with little mobility while remaining intensely focused on just one individual. This results in low levels of engagement and retention—8%-10% (Source: SH!FT). By contrast, e-learning programs allow water and wastewater professionals to proceed through dynamic materials that have been shown to boost engagement and retention by 25%-60%.
Greater engagement and retention means you get more out of your e-learning experience. Not only will you likely be happier, but you'll also be better able to apply what you learned. And that's the whole point of training.
5. Improved Digital Communication
TCEQ-approved online CEU courses help water and wastewater professionals develop their digital communication skills by utilizing technology that's already in use at work. This can increase your productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction. Water and wastewater professionals who keep up with today's digital tools and standards of interaction are more likely to see themselves fitting in as the world rapidly changes.
The Wrap
E-learning is now less of an oddity and more of a fixture in the training landscape. While the private sector is leaning into e-learning solutions, the water and wastewater industry appears to be lagging behind in adoption. This creates problems that e-learning solutions are poised to remedy.
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