Choosing the best online computer course
There is no such thing as generally best online computer course. Depending on the computer skills you already possess and your needs there are various courses you should take part of. Before you can start thinking which online computer course is the best, you need to know what you want to achieve by this course. Faster typing? Deep knowledge of office programs? Using the Internet? Ability to write programs? You can learn it all, but it is impossible to do that during a single course.
Remember though, that generally the more specific is the online computer course, the better. It is often better to take part in three short, specific courses than in one universal chances are that te latter will be much less fruitful in the long run.
Basic level
If you're completely new to the computers, you'll need some basic level training. While there are still some online computer courses that try to amalgamate all kinds of basic training, it is generally advised to take three or four single courses, each dealing with something else. The most common choice is: an Internet course - how to use www, POP3 mail etc., a MS Office course (basic level) and possibly a typing course (the last category is widely available as free online courses).
Intermediate
When you already know a little about computers and the Internet, you should give an online computer course a little more thought. You will need to know what exactly you expect from the course and make sure that the training of your choice will give you that. It is easy to find an online computer course that is too easy or too difficult for you. The point is that you have to make sure that the course's content will suit your needs.
Certificate courses
Sometimes the sole reason for taking an online computer course is becoming a holder of some computer certificate. While almost all online computer courses issue some kind of certificate of attendance, keep in mind that real important certification institutions, like CompTia, Microsoft or Cisco, will perform exams, too. In such case all certification courses are just a way of preparing for exams and they can't guarantee that you will pass.
Choosing online computer training tips
An online computer training is possibly the best choice you can make when looking for a way to learn about them. It is usually cheaper and not as time-demanding as campus-based courses and, what is quite important for beginners, it requires much more time spent at your computer than usual courses.
There are literally thousands online computer training offers available on the Internet. Whatever you need to learn about computers is taught online -- and there are at least ten different computer trainings dealing in the matter you need to apprehend. The point is: how can we choose the best offer and avoid frauds?
1. What you need is what you should get
The first step in determining if the online computer training is ok for you has nothing to do with the course itself. It's all about determining what exactly you need from the course. Only if you know what you need, you can get it. When you're sure that you know exactly what you have to learn, go looking for a proper online computer training.
2. Asynchronous learning vs. online classes
There are two main types of activities in all online courses, including online computer trainings: asynchronous learning and online classes. Before you join a course, make sure the balance between those two kinds of training are set correctly. Generally, many beginning online training institutions tend to include too much asynchronous learning because taped lectures and materials for independent studying are easier to prepare and handle than online classes. Though such activities are crucial for online computer training, you simply have to spend at least a quarter of time spent on a course in a virtual classroom, debating with your fellow students and your instructor. Otherwise the training will be little more than doing everything yourself, without any real external help.
3. Time and accreditation
If the online computer training you're about to choose deals in what you need to learn and has enough hours to be spent in a class, there are only two more things you need to check before joining it. The first one is the time that a course should take. Generally, avoid trainings that promise to teach you a lot in a very short time -- that will be either too taxing for you or will be a clear fraud. There is no way in which you can learn enough to pass any Microsoft or Cisco certification exam after a two-week online computer training, especially if you're not already an experienced computer user. The same is the story with college and university online degrees -- you can't just take a six-month course and get BA or MD.
The last thing is checking the online computer training's accreditation. While there are many training institutions that don't have one, having a Microsoft's or college accreditation is certainly a plus.
What is an free online typing course
A free online typing course is one of the best things you can look for if you have problems with typing fast enough on your keyboard - a real nuisance if you're a secretary, but also a real problem for everyone dealing in IT industry. As most of the online typing courses are little more than a learning software, it's a small wonder that they're usually for free.
How does it look like?
Most free online typing courses concentrate on teaching you how to type without looking at the keyboard. The first few lessons are all about learning how not to look your keyboard. During this stage all you really need to do is hitting a few letters on your keyboard in pre-planned sequences. Only when you master it (usually along with getting used to use all you fingers), your free online typing course will advance -- usually after some kind of typing speed test.
When you manage to learn to use all your fingers and you will know which keys you should hit using which fingers, the second stage will begin. This part is too, a part of every free online typing course -- it is writing the whole words. First you are to type only a preplanned keys' sequences, but soon you will have to do that on time. The main and the only place where the courses are different is the moment when the speed will start to count. Sometimes a free online typing course will introduce a timer only during the last lessons, but more often you will see that at the moment you start typing the sequences.
Why they are free?
A free online typing course is something very common on the Internet, but there are hardly any paid counterparts. The reason is simple -- the theory and practice of typing is so well-known that it is almost impossible to create a paid course that will beat a free online typing course by more than a few inches. That is also why most online typing courses are so similar to each other -- there is very little you can do to make them better.
The lack of price has, however, one serious drawback. Most of the websites that offer a free online typing course need to get money from somewhere and usually the only asset they have is your email address. As the result you can expect to receive advertising emails or outright SPAM on the email mailbox address you gave to the website during the registration.
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